Reece James was handed a call up to the England squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

Thomas Tuchel stated he sees Reece James as a fullback rather than a midfielder, although warned he has to prove he’s fit enough to play there.James was named in Tuchel’s first England squad for

England manager, Thomas Tuchel has hinted he disagreed with Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca’s belief that Reece James can do well as a central midfielder. Maresca recently said he sees James as a ‘midfielder.

Tuchel was appointed England manager in October after Lee Carsley held the fort following Gareth Southgate’s departure. The former Chelsea boss was handed an 18-month contract and took the reins at the start of January, with his primary focus centred around winning the 2026 World Cup.

Thomas Tuchel's first England squad is in, and it's fair to say there are a few surprises. Seasoned internationals Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson have returned, while there are first call-ups for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn and no place at all for Morgan Gibbs-White and Jack Grealish.

Follow live reaction and analysis as new manager England Thomas Tuchel explains his first squad ahead of two 2026 World Cup qualifiers this month