Rico Lewis earns first England senior call in two years after O'Reilly injury forces Tuchel's hand

Rico Lewis has received his first England senior call-up in over two years, with Thomas Tuchel adding the Manchester City full-back to his squad ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League clash against Czech Republic at Wembley.

Lewis, 21, was promoted directly from Lee Carsley’s under-21 setup, having featured in their 0-0 draw against Slovakia in Stoke on Friday — a result that secured England U21s’ qualification for next summer’s European Championship. He holds five senior caps, the last of which came in November 2024, making this his first opportunity under Tuchel.

The call-up was triggered by the departure of City team-mate Nico O’Reilly, who returned home injured after playing the full 90 minutes in England’s 3-2 defeat by Spain. O’Reilly had already been absent for the 2-0 win over Czech Republic in Prague, and England initially opted against bringing in a replacement — a decision reversed following their emphatic 7-0 victory over Croatia.

Lewis’s versatility is a key factor in his selection. Capable of operating at both full-back positions and in midfield, he offers Tuchel genuine flexibility as the squad navigates a congested schedule. Lewis Hall and Jarell Quansah started at full-back in the Croatia win, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Trent Alexander-Arnold also in contention for those roles.

Tuchel acknowledged the challenge of managing minutes across the campaign. “Why would I do this and start giving the players the impression that it’s OK to take a step back or share a half or to rest one match?” he said ahead of the Prague fixture. “I would never. It’s madness. We want to win the next match. I would love not to rotate but I am not sure if it’s possible. An ideal scenario would be to go again and go again and go again — with six or seven players minimum that start again, to put the responsibility on them and for them to feel the trust.”

England entered this international window already short-handed, with Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Tino Livramento all withdrawing from the original squad, reigniting debate around the demands of the fixture calendar.

At club level, Lewis has made just three appearances across all competitions for Enzo Maresca’s City this season and has been an unused substitute in each of their last four Premier League matches, with Josko Gvardiol holding the left-back berth and Matheus Nunes preferred at right-back. A strong showing at Wembley could significantly alter his standing in both camps.