England boss Thomas Tuchel reveals why Man United star Harry Maguire was actually overlooked of his first Three Lions squad

Thomas Tuchel has opened up on exactly why he did not call Harry Maguire up for his recent England squad. 

Tuchel’s first camp as the Three Lions boss is now over, having overseen a perfect start to his tenure as England boss with wins over both Albania and Latvia in World Cup qualifying. 

Naturally, there were some eyebrows raised when the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss named his selection, notably over the inclusions of Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker. 

But one stalwart of the Gareth Southgate era, Maguire, was notably left out despite Tuchel placing emphasis on having as much time with those in his plans as possible ahead of next summer’s World Cup. 

The former Manchester United captain has been struggling with a calf injury, from which his return is expected imminently, though Tuchel has revealed that that was in fact not the reason for his omission. 

‘I spoke to all of the players who were not on the list to give my direct feedback on my decision,’ Tuchel said, when asked about Maguire.

Harry Maguire was absent from Thomas Tuchel’s first England Squad as Three Lions manager

The ex- Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss revealed the defender was left out due to his form

The form of both Ezri Konsa (left) and Marc Guehi (right) has left Maguire out in the cold

‘It was a close decision. We chose Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa. At the moment, I think they are a little bit in a better rhythm and deserve to be with us. Two right-footers in central defence and the rest were left-footers in the centre of defence.

‘The second reason was that Harry was not fit when we did the nomination. It was presumed that he can play but I didn’t want to take the risk to nominate the player which we then have to take care [with] … constantly need to assess whether he can do a full training session or half training session. 

‘We did the same with Reece James and only because of the feedback that he could do every session in full was the reason we brought him into camp.

‘Harry knows that. It’s not so easy for him at the club at the moment. He plays in a back three on top of it but he’s a top professional and he’s very important for England. 

‘He took it unbelievably well. He wrote me messages to wish us good luck and you see what a person he is. He is a top guy and he will always be in contention.’

Maguire has been one of the most consistent and important England players over the last few years, repeatedly shaking off poor club form to star for the national team. 

With Southgate he was pivotal to the Three Lions improved performances at major tournaments, only missing out on the most recent European Championship campaign after suffering an injury on the eve of the tournament. 

Dan Burn’s inclusion in the most recent squad puts up yet another hurdle in front of Maguire, with the Newcastle defender able to play at either left back or centre back, as he did against Albania on his debut. 

Maguire was a crucial player in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squads over the years

Manchester United have struggled for consistency this season, particularly at the back

Similarly, Konsa’s impressive form at centre back compounds the fact that he is also able to play on both sides of the defence at full back, his versatility making him a crucial player for Tuchel.  

Equally, the fact that his club side, Man United, are in dire need of a run of form to lift the pressure on Ruben Amorim’s position at the club hardly helps. 

United have conceded 40 times in the league so far this season, and their 12 defeats in the top-flight make it difficult for any defenders at the club to be cast in a positive light. 

Maguire has 64 appearances to his name for the Three Lions, as well as seven goals, and was considered one of the leading figures in the dressing-room under Southgate.