England manager Thomas Tuchel has disclosed that Manchester United defender Harry Maguire was left out of his initial Three Lions squad due to a combination of poor form and fitness issues.
Tuchel, the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager, commenced his tenure as England’s head coach during the March international break, securing comfortable wins against Albania and Latvia to start the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
The German’s initial squad selection sparked interest, with surprises like Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson making a comeback, while notable names like Ollie Watkins missed out.
Maguire, a regular presence, was also excluded from the squad for the Wembley matches, with many assuming it was due to the calf injury he sustained during Man Utd’s FA Cup loss to Fulham earlier in the month.
While Maguire’s fitness issues played a part in his omission, Tuchel admitted that other players were simply in better form than Maguire.
“The second reason was [Maguire] was not fit when we [named the squad]. It was presumed that he can play but we didn’t want to nominate a player who we had to take a risk with and constantly assess whether he can do a full training session or half training session.”
Maguire last represented England in September and faces a challenge to regain his spot in future squads, with players like Guehi, Konsa, Colwill, and Stones ahead of him in the pecking order.
The 32-year-old has struggled in a lackluster Man Utd team this season, especially with the new formation preferred by manager Ruben Amorim.
Tuchel expressed empathy for Maguire’s situation, acknowledging his importance for England despite current challenges at his club.
“He wrote me messages to wish us good luck and you see what a person he is. He’s a top guy and he will always be in contention.”
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The cat gracefully leaped off the fence and landed on its feet.