Thomas Tuchel has included Marcus Rashford in his first England squad to capitalize on the forward’s upsurge in form at Aston Villa and prevent him from falling back into the bad habits that affected his game at Manchester United.
Another notable selection for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley is the recall of Jordan Henderson, described as a “big part of the puzzle” for the campaign. Tuchel has also handed debut call-ups to Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn, while selecting Jarell Quansah, Reece James, and Morgan Rogers. Henderson’s inclusion has resulted in the omission of Conor Gallagher, Angel Gomes, and Adam Wharton. Jack Grealish and Ben White were also left out, though Tuchel indicated that White was open to an international return following his self-imposed exile.
Rashford endured a frustrating 18 months at United, where his form dipped before he moved on loan to Villa, where he has shown signs of returning to his best. Tuchel explained that he could have delayed Rashford’s recall until June, but felt it was important to bring him in now to reinforce his progress.
“I had the feeling that we need to reward him now, we need to feel him, he needs to be close to me, so that he does not fall back into old routines,” Tuchel said. “He has stepped up his game impressively at Villa, especially in his work off the ball. This is the most important factor for him the intensity after losing possession, tracking back, sprinting, hunting down the ball, and ensuring he is in position.”
Tuchel emphasized that Rashford remains a complete player, with the ability to bully defenders, and that the focus is on maintaining his progress. Rashford last played for England in March 2024, while Henderson has not featured since November 2023. After moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023, Henderson struggled for international selection, despite a subsequent move to Ajax in January 2024.
Tuchel believes Henderson can still perform at the age of 34, stating that he does not see a decline in his abilities. He also highlighted the midfielder’s leadership qualities and his role in fostering team cohesion.
“I’m not so sure we need 23 outfield players in the World Cup, all of whom must expect to start. Once we go to the tournament, we need to define roles clearly. There will be a core team eager to start, a support team, and players who can impact matches from the bench. Some will take care of the values of the team, the atmosphere, and the overall spirit.”
Regarding Henderson’s absence from Ajax’s recent Europa League match due to suspension, Tuchel downplayed its significance, jokingly referencing Jude Bellingham’s recent red card at Real Madrid.
Tuchel also plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to watch Ivan Toney, whose exclusion was not related to his playing location. With Ollie Watkins sidelined due to a knee injury, Tuchel opted for Dominic Solanke over Toney. Other players unavailable due to injuries include Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Lewis Hall, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke.
Discussing his vision for the team, Tuchel stressed the importance of creating a sense of “brotherhood” within the squad and maintaining a distinctive English style of play rather than imitating other top nations.
“We should be proud of the culture and style of English football and our league. We need to increase intensity, rhythm, touches in the opponent’s box, and ball recoveries in advanced areas. I see no reason why we shouldn’t play a high press. It’s our job to implement this while allowing the players the freedom to express themselves.”
On Grealish, who has struggled for consistency at Manchester City and faced off-field scrutiny, Tuchel expressed admiration but acknowledged the player’s lack of rhythm.
“I love Jack. I love everything about him. But lately, he simply has no rhythm. We both agree on this. He told me, ‘I’m not a start-stop player. It’s hard for me to influence a match from the bench and then start again two weeks later.’ The more he plays, the better he gets, and then he becomes a proper machine. It’s not ideal that he’s in the newspapers and in the public eye, but that was not the reason for not picking him.”
