By Samuel A. March 14, 2025
England’s new head coach Thomas Tuchel has named his first squad for upcoming games against Latvia and Albania for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The German international’s team is one that has a little bit of everything. From teenagers on the rise, to rising youths, established superstars and experienced players, it has it all. Rashford, who was frozen out by new Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim in December but his form has been impressive since joining Aston Villa on loan in January. He has been rewarded with a return to the England set-up, having last featured for the Three Lions in March last year as a substitute against Brazil at Wembley.
There is also a surprise return to the squad for Jordan Henderson. The Ajax midfielder’s last appearance was in November 2023 against Malta.
Conor Gallagher, a midweek scorer against Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Adam Wharton have been overlooked.
Kyle Walker has also been named. The full-back departed the Premier League and Manchester City for AC Milan in January.
Elsewhere, Myles Lewis-Skelly earns his first senior call-up. The Arsenal midfielder, who can also play at left-back, never earned an U21 cap, but he did play for England at lower youth levels. Newcastle defender Dan Burn has also been included, having never featured for England at any level, while Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers is selected again after making his senior debut in November. Morgan Gibbs-White was also called up after it was reported that Cole Palmer would be missing due to injury.
Tuchel has only included two recognised strikers in his 26-player squad – Harry Kane and Dominic Solanke. There is no place for Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, as the Aston Villa forward misses out because of a minor knee issue that Tuchel and the player agreed to rest during the international break. There are also a number of players missing through injury, including Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lewis Hall and Bukayo Saka.
The squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (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), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), 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)
