Thomas Tuchel, what are you thinking?! England winners and losers as new boss recalls old boys Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker in first squad - but ignores in-form quartet and Jack Grealish

It is less than two months since Ruben Amorim declared he would rather pick his 63-year-old, overweight goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than Marcus Rashford due to the forward's attitude in training. Those incredible remarks seemed to have sounded the death knell for Rashford's career at the top but they have turned out to be the catalyst for the striker's remarkable revival, which feels almost complete after getting this England recall.

Rashford has been revitalised at Aston Villa. He has looked switched on, lively and rediscovered his electric pace. And his performances in training have stunned his team-mates, making a mockery of Amorim's assessment. His return to the England squad is fully deserved and it should serve to keep him motivated and focused. It is also good news for England fans on a number of levels.

Rashford was part of the squad for every major tournament between Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup and it is great to see him back after being dropped for Euro 2024. He could not really complain about being discarded last summer following his huge dip in form but he has knuckled down in the last two months and earned his ticket back into the squad. Rashford has proved particularly effective coming off the bench for Villa and if England need an injection of pace in their qualifiers, they know where to turn.

A new manager normally brings fresh ideas and fresh players with him, but Tuchel's first squad feels like a leap back into the past. No England fan in the world expected or wanted to see Henderson back in the side, while Walker's return also feels strange to anyone who watched his dismal performances for Manchester City in the first half of the season.

Granted, there are some fresh faces such as Lewis-Skelly and Burn, but the newcomers are outweighed by the long list of in-form players (see more on them below) who did not make the cut. Tuchel had already made himself unpopular with certain sections of the English media by starting the job in January, staying away from the last round of internationals and missing several weekends of Premier League action as part of a 'work from home' arrangement. Some of that criticism, admittedly, has been laughable.

But his selections matter far more and his first squad certainly raises plenty of questions.

Leaving the Premier League to play abroad is often risky for a player's England career as you drop out of the national consciousness. Unless, of course, you play for Real Madrid. So Henderson and Walker must be pleasantly surprised to have returned to the squad despite leaving England.

Henderson's recall is the hardest to understand as his career has been in the wilderness since he made the ill-judged move to leave Liverpool and join Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia. His return to Europe showed a willingness to get back in the England picture but after making a nightmare start at Ajax and losing the trust of the ever-loyal Southgate, his Three Lions career seemed finished. And while his return is hard to fathom for many England fans and pundits, it is a personal victory for him and a reward for the positive example he sets to team-mates, which Tuchel pointed to as he highlighted the 34-year-old's "character, personality and energy".

Walker must also be delighted to have gotten the nod after being made the main scapegoat of City's terrible season, vindicating his decision to go for a fresh start and join AC Milan on loan. The player's turbulent private life has remained in the spotlight after his antics in a Milan nightclub so he must be relieved that he is back in the news at home for footballing reasons.

When he heard that Tuchel was getting the band back together, Jack Grealish must have got his hopes up of a call from Tuchel. But the German's generosity has not extended to the City winger, who looks like he might have played his last game in international football. Grealish was devastated at missing out on Euro 2024 although he looked like he still had plenty to give the Three Lions after a stunning performance in Lee Carsley's first game in charge against Ireland and scoring in the next round of fixtures against Finland.

Since then Grealish has had to contend with niggling injuries and being reduced to an even smaller role at City due to the emergence of Savinho, the resurgence of Jeremy Doku and the arrival of Omar Marmoush. His only reliable source of starts is now the FA Cup and the sad truth is that his current form and fitness struggles do not warrant a return to the England squad, especially given the sheer competition for places.

Grealish's exclusion should serve as a final wake-up call for him to follow Rashford's example and leave City in the summer in the hope of rebooting his career elsewhere. He could even follow the Henderson and Walker playbook and try his hand at another league in Europe, boost his form and confidence and try to play his way back into the Three Lions squad.

When Erling Haaland furiously shouted "who the f**k are you" to Myles Lewis-Skelly after Manchester City's draw with Arsenal in September, many people would have been wondering the same thing as the Norwegian. But less than six months on, the Gunners' full-back is no longer a man of mystery - he is a Premier League star and now soon to be an England international.

The 18-year-old's inclusion is not a surprise given the form he has been in over the last few months, even with his tendency to run into trouble with referees. He has shown huge confidence for his age as well as the physical prowess needed to succeed in the intense modern game and he is a welcome addition to the squad.

Joining the England set up will give him valuable experience and he should benefit from the advice and example of more seasoned colleagues, who might suggest he tones down trolling superstars such as Haaland. England will also benefit from having such a bold and exciting youngster in the camp, especially given the increased number of seniors Tuchel has brought in.

While it's a big day for the England old boys club, it's a sad day for the in-form players who would have been keeping the next two weeks free and looking forward to spending some time at St George's Park. Four players would be entitled to feel particularly hard done by: Jarrad Branthwaite, James Maddison, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton.

Branthwaite has been the defensive rock behind Everton's resurgence under David Moyes but he will have to wait until next September at the earliest to make his competitive debut for the Three Lions. It feels like a long time to wait, especially given that Jarell Quansah did get the nod despite not starting a Premier League game in 2025.

Maddison clearly had an England recall on his mind and even revealed to the media that he had spoken to Tuchel about the possibility. A return would have been more than justified given his form for Tottenham, contributing to 18 goals this season. Gibbs-White must be even more perplexed at missing out after being one of the best players and captain of the insurgent Nottingham Forest, especially after getting a taste of the England action under Carsley. Wharton must also feel disappointed after getting back to his best since returning to injury, propelling Crystal Palace to five wins from their last six games.