Thomas Tuchel’s first international camp with England ended in satisfactory but unspectacular fashion as his team followed up last week’s win against Albania with a routine 3-0 victory over lowly Latvia.
Over the course of the two matches, Tuchel used 18 different players. Here, Telegraph Sport assesses which of those players enjoyed the most successful international break, relative to their status and expectations, and which might now be sweating on their place ahead of the next set of fixtures in June.
18. Anthony Gordon
Gordon featured for only 15 minutes of the match against Albania and then withdrew from the squad through injury before the Latvia game. With Marcus Rashford starting both matches on the left flank and Eberechi Eze impressing off the bench, the Newcastle United winger now appears to be further from a starting role than he was at the start of the international break.
17. Phil Foden
After a disappointing showing on the right wing against Albania, Foden was dropped from the starting lineup against Latvia and publicly criticised by Tuchel. The issue of Foden’s positioning remains an ongoing problem for England, and there was nothing in these two games to suggest he will dislodge Jude Bellingham as the No 10 any time soon.
16. Jarrod Bowen
With Foden struggling to find his form and Gordon injured, Bowen had an opportunity against Latvia to show Tuchel that he is good enough to start on the wing. Sadly for the West Ham United winger, he was quiet and could not find space against the low block. Bukayo Saka’s position on the right does not seem to be under threat.
15. Marc Guehi
Guehi looked unusually anxious against Latvia and was involved — for all the wrong reasons — in the away team’s most promising attacking moments. It was not a performance that exuded confidence, but the 24-year-old does appear to remain ahead of Levi Colwill and Jarell Quansah in the pecking order. Colwill and Quansah did not play a single minute of this international break.
14. Dan Burn
Showed his aerial threat from set pieces against Albania, almost scoring a debut goal. There were a few nervy moments, though, and there were occasions in the second half when he struggled to handle the threat of Armando Broja. Overall, a promising first international camp but there is more to be done if Burn is to nail down a place in the team.
13. Curtis Jones
With Declan Rice and Bellingham expected to start every game, there is a third midfield spot up for grabs. Jones was given his chance against Albania and was characteristically comfortable in possession, although he then dropped to the bench against Latvia. Morgan Rogers is the more dynamic and adventurous option there, while the likes of Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, James Maddison and Conor Gallagher will all hope to get a chance in future international breaks. Jones is definitely in the mix but he probably did not do enough to make that position his own.
12. Kyle Walker
How much should we read into Tuchel’s decision to start Walker against Albania? At 34, is Walker still the man in possession of the right-back shirt? He played with all of his usual assurance and composure in that game, but was then outshone by Reece James against Latvia. Walker is now under real pressure from both James and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
11. Jordan Henderson
Henderson was a surprise pick in the squad but he featured in both matches and appears to be Tuchel’s preferred “finisher” in midfield. In both games, he replaced Declan Rice with around 10 minutes remaining. His leadership and experience makes him well-suited to such a role, depending on the context of the match.
10. Eberechi Eze
Eze played for only 30 minutes of this international break but he provided a different spark in attack and scored an impressive goal off the bench against Latvia. Admittedly, the opposition were tiring by the time Eze was running at them, but it was still an encouraging performance from the Crystal Palace playmaker.
9. Jude Bellingham
Bellingham was probably England’s best player against Albania, when he produced a fabulous assist for Myles Lewis-Skelly, but there will be concerns over his temperament after he was fortunate to avoid a red card against Latvia. He is a guaranteed starter for England but Tuchel will also need to be delicate in how he manages the Real Madrid midfielder.
8. Marcus Rashford
Rashford did not produce his best football in these two matches but his position in the starting lineup for both games was indicative of his standing in Tuchel’s mind. Having not played for England since March 2024, this international break was unquestionably a significant step forward for the 27-year-old.
7. Jordan Pickford
Pickford did not have much work to do over the two matches but he will be satisfied after an international break that confirmed he remains the No 1 goalkeeper for his country. The 31-year-old now has 75 caps and seems to be on course to reach 100.
6. Declan Rice
There can be no doubting Rice’s importance to the England setup and that has continued under Tuchel, with the Arsenal midfielder producing two controlled performances. His driving run to set up Kane’s goal against Latvia was a reminder that he is so much more than a defensive midfielder.
5. Harry Kane
After all the talk about his struggles at last summer’s European Championship, Kane has reaffirmed his position as the undisputed leader of this team and its frontline. Two goals in two games, and he played every minute. Perhaps it helped Kane’s cause that Ollie Watkins, his main challenger, was unavailable through injury.
4. Morgan Rogers
Rogers made his first England start against Latvia and did as much as anyone to break down the low-lying opposition defence. The 22-year-old’s dribbling ability and running power makes him a different sort of threat in midfield positions. He has the potential to be a game-changing option in tournament football.
3. Reece James
The right-back spot is up for grabs and James took his opportunity against Latvia. With Kieran Trippier now retired from international football and Walker approaching the age of 35, it could become a straight shootout between James and Alexander-Arnold. In the absence of the injured Alexander-Arnold, James put down a marker.
2. Ezri Konsa
Ahead of these two fixtures, it was unclear where Konsa ranked in the defensive pecking order. Now, we can say with some certainty that he sits near the top — if not at the very top. The Aston Villa centre-back was the only defender to play every minute of the matches against Albania and Latvia. John Stones (injured) faces a fight to win back his place.
1. Myles Lewis-Skelly
Probably the biggest winner of this international break. Lewis-Skelly has seemingly made the troublesome left-back position his own, scoring against Albania and then producing a mature performance against Latvia. The 18-year-old appears to be the perfect fit for Tuchel’s system, drifting into midfield in possession and defending solidly when required.
The fringe players
Dominic Solanke will no doubt be disappointed not to play a single minute across the two games, as he looks to overtake Watkins as Kane’s main challenger. Morgan Gibbs-White, too, did not get the chance to bring his club form into the international arena. Colwill, as a left-sided centre-back, might take some encouragement from Burn and Guehi’s inability to nail down that slot.
