Football

England: Tuchel recalls Saka as Bellingham, Foden miss out

England’s coach Thomas Tuchel has recalled Bukayo Saka for next week’s matches against Wales and Latvia, but there is no place for Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden or Jack Grealish.

Arsenal forward Saka missed last month’s World Cup qualifying wins over Andorra and Serbia with a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old recently returned for Arsenal and scored in their 2-0 win over Olympiacos on Wednesday.

Saka comes in for Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke, who is sidelined until November with a knee problem.

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before a World Cup qualifier in Riga on 14 October.

If England win in Latvia, they will need a maximum of two points from their final two qualifiers, against Serbia and Albania in November, to reach next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah replaces Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, who is out for up to eight weeks after suffering a knee injury against Arsenal last weekend.

Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence, who earned their first England call-ups last month, retain their places. Ruben Loftus-Cheek also keeps his spot, despite the return to fitness of Adam Wharton.

Saka has only played one game for Tuchel since he became England manager, because of fitness and hamstring injuries, and that was England’s 3-1 defeat by Senegal in June.

Bellingham missed the last England international camp as he recovered from shoulder surgery and has only made one start for Real Madrid since returning to fitness.

Foden was left out of Tuchel’s last England squad after a loss of form and has been unable to force his way back in, despite a strong start to the season with Manchester City.

Grealish also misses out despite a revival in form on loan at Everton. The 30-year-old has not played for England since October 2024, under interim boss Lee Carsley.

Full England squad

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City).

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa).

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).

(BBC Sport)

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