Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham have been recalled for Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad which also includes Bournemouth’s Alex Scott for the first time.
Tuchel named a 25-man squad on Friday for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania later this month.
ESPN reported on Thursday that Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham was set to return after being left out for last month’s international fixtures while Foden features for the first time since March after an upturn in form for Manchester City.
Bournemouth have been riding high in the Premier League season and Scott’s inclusion acknowledges that while rewarding a midfielder capped 11 times at England under-21 level.
The squad only includes one recognised striker in captain Harry Kane with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins left out, although Marcus Rashford, at Barcelona on loan from Manchester United, could play through the middle if required along with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen.
Tuchel opted against including Ben White despite positive conversations centring on the Arsenal’s defender’s willingness to return to the setup after declaring himself unavailable for England during the latter part of Gareth Southgate’s tenure.
The England boss also warned last month that Myles Lewis-Skelly’s place could be at risk if he struggled for regular game-time and the left-back was omitted in favour of City youngster Nico O’Reilly, who was added to the squad last month following injuries elsewhere.
– Traitors: Southgate reveals BBC show helped England team bonding
– Man City’s Guardiola declares Foden’s ‘back’ after inspiring win
– Madrid’s Bellingham defends Alexander-Arnold after Liverpool boos
Tuchel also decided against handing Danny Welbeck a call-up — seven years after his last cap — despite an impressive run of form for Brighton, scoring six goals in his last five Premier League matches.
Anthony Gordon was also included despite his recent injury issues at Newcastle. Speaking in a news conference earlier on Friday, Eddie Howe said the winger is set to undergo a scan on the hip issue that saw him replaced in the 41st minute of Newcastle’s Champions League win over Athletic Club on Wednesday.
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton returns to the squad after missing out last month and withdrawing from the September internationals due to injury.
England have already secured their spot at next summer’s World Cup finals, meaning Tuchel has the chance to experiment in England’s final fixtures of 2025 before a four-month break until their next games in March.
England squad:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
>
