Thomas Tuchel has handed Marcus Rashford a shock recall in his first England squad, which also includes call-ups for Myles Lewis-Skelly, Dominic Solanke and Dan Burn.
Rashford, 27, has not played for England since March 2024 and fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United before joining Aston Villa on loan in January, where he has registered three assists to date.
Speaking to the Football Association’s website, Tuchel said: “He’s had a huge impact lately in the matches at Aston Villa.
“I was delighted to see his effort on the ball and his effort to be the best teammate possible and his consistent energy.
“There is no doubt about his talent and about his quality, but to see him so decisive and so physically involved gave me the impression that it is the right moment to call him up and give him the extra push that he stays on that level.”
Tuchel, who started work as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor on Jan. 1, named a 26-man group which included four goalkeepers and a recall for Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale while Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson also returns to the setup the first time since March. He last played for England in November 2023.
Lewis-Skelly has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Arsenal and the 18-year-old bypasses the under-21 setup entirely to join up immediately with the senior group.
“It feels a little bit like we fast-forward a career that is already on a fast pace,” Tuchel said. “I can assure you that the talks in the last days and weeks had a kind of a parental vibe, a bit of a protective vibe, to feel like maybe we should not nominate him to protect him a little bit, to not skip the under-21s, to let him go to the under-21s where he is a little bit out of the spotlight. Is this maybe even our responsibility to not take him?
“But in the end with injuries and the quality and the maturity he showed in the matches, we decided to take him.
Solanke has had an injury-hit campaign at Tottenham but edged out Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who misses out, while Burn has been part of a Newcastle side pushing for a return to Champions League football.
Tuchel suggested that Burn and Henderson could become influential figures as he looks to mould a squad capable of winning next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“For me, Jordan is a similar call-up for the same reasons as Dan Burn,” said Tuchel. “They carry these values on their shoulders and they carry their teams. It’s absolutely reliable what they bring in terms of energy and this is where the focus is also for us to build a strong team and a cohesive team. Jordan is a big piece in that puzzle for us.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold was not selected — although the Liverpool defender is currently suffering with an ankle problem which rules him out of Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final against Newcastle.
In his place, Reece James is included despite making just 13 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions due to persistent fitness problems.
“Reece works very hard to be in shape,” said Tuchel. “He is fully available. There is no doubt about Reece’s quality and capability and what he can bring to us but we want to be flexible and have a bit of a wider range and that’s why it was a pleasure to bring Reece back in.”
Tuchel worked with James during his time as Chelsea boss and later when employed at Bayern Munich, the 51-year-old wanted to sign Kyle Walker from Manchester City.
Walker, now at AC Milan on loan, has been selected in an inexperienced defensive unit which includes Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento and Jarell Quansah.
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, who was a stalwart of the squad under Southgate despite persistent criticism, misses out while there was no place for Arsenal’s Ben White, who refused to play for England under Southgate, or Manchester City’s Jack Grealish.
Morgan Rogers was first selected by interim head coach Lee Carsley and the Villa midfielder made the cut. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed last week that Tuchel had a long list of 55 players and he discussed the next steps after whittling that group down.
“I’m very excited now for training finally after so many months already in the job — it’s time to be back on the pitch and hug the players and push the players and implement a certain style of play and implement some rules and principles,” explained Tuchel.
“I can’t wait for that. We are very excited to be in charge of a match at Wembley. It’s beyond what I could imagine from my career.”
Tuchel’s 26-man England squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan from Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa, loan from Manchester United), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur)
