Jordan Henderson has been given a shock recall to the England squad as new boss Thomas Tuchel brings the veteran midfielder back into the international picture.
Tuchel’s first squad naming since taking the role contains a number of surprise selections, with Marcus Rashford also back amongst things after producing impressive form since a loan move to Aston Villa.
Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly and versatile Newcastle defender Dan Burn bolster England’s options at the back, while there is no place for Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Liverpool right-back sustained an apparent ankle injury against Paris Saint-Germain this week.
Jack Grealish also misses out having been unable to command a consistent starting place for Manchester City this season, with Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers among those preferred.
A recall for Henderson is nonetheless the most startling call with Tuchel clearly valuing his experience, leadership and skillset in a shallow central midfield group beyond Declan Rice.
The former Liverpool midfielder missed out entirely on Gareth Southgate’s wider squad ahead of Euro 2024 last summer, and has not featured since.
The 34-year-old made a controversial move to Al Ettifaq at the start of last season but spent just six months in Saudi Arabia before returning to Europe with Ajax.
And his performances in the Eredivisie have clearly been sufficient to force Tuchel to bring him back into the fold.
England face Albania on Friday 21 March in the German manager’s first game, before hosting Latvia three days later.
England squad for March’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guéhi (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), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), 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)
