Thomas Tuchel is set to name his first England squad on Friday for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia and there are set to be some big surprises
Thomas Tuchel is set to announce his first Three Lions squad on Friday for the qualifiers with Albania and Latvia before the squad jets off stateside for next year’s World Cup.
The new England boss has been busy putting together a whopping 55 players on his “long list”, which, with injuries and fitness concerns, has apparently swollen to 57 hopefuls.
Marcus Rashford, 27, is eager for a return to action. He has not played for England in a year, missing the Euros and sitting out the first half of this season at Manchester United.
However, Rashford, with 17 goals in 60 caps, has impressed Thomas Tuchel since joining Aston Villa on loan.
With his spark reignited at Villa, Rashford’s not hiding his eagerness for an England jersey once more.
He’s tipped to have made the long list, but he’ll need to fend off stiff competition from the likes of Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White, who have been playing well in the last few months. And with Callum Hudson-Odoi muscling back into contention, it’s all to play for.
Arsenal’s whiz kid Lewis-Skelly, 18, could be set for his big break thanks to some cracking form recently.
Thomas Tuchel has a headache with his defence, with Harry Maguire, John Stones and Trent Alexander-Arnold all injured. But Tuchel rates Reece James so he is on the long-list, as well as Jarrad Branthwaite.
As if Tuchel didn’t have enough on his plate, his left-back options are looking equally bare with Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall out of the running. However, young gun Lewis-Skelly is likely to get a look-in, especially since Arsenal chief Mikel Arteta ’s given the thumbs up on that.
Tuchel’s even kept tabs on Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell, who might just bag himself a place despite it being three years since his last game for England.