Thomas Tuchel has officially named his first-ever England squad ahead of two World Cup qualifiers in March, which did include Chelsea captain Reece James in a 26-man group.
There was plenty of excitement from Chelsea supporters when former Blues manager Thomas Tuchel, 51, was appointed the head coach of England’s national side.
On Friday morning, Tuchel named his first England squad for upcoming matches against Albania (21 March) and Latvia (24 March). It included the Blues trio of Reece James, Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer.
James has 16 senior England caps under his belt already. However, this is the 25-year-old’s first call-up to a Three Lions camp since March 2023.
His career has been stop-start in recent seasons due to numerous injury problems, but he’s already made nine appearances across all competitions in 2025 as his fitness heads in the right direction.
Enzo Maresca has been cautious with James in certain games by rotating him. It’s pretty obvious that he’s still one of the very best players in the Blues squad, though.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Thomas Tuchel reacts to naming Chelsea’s Reece James in England squad
Tuchel shared his delight about naming James in the England squad as he prepares to reunite with the Chelsea skipper.
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Most importantly for Blues supporters, they’ll be encouraged to hear that the player is deemed fully fit after numerous checks.
Tuchel said via England’s official YouTube channel: “Reecey [James] James works very hard to be in shape. The point about him is that he does not play so regularly lately, but it is due to the managing of his previous injury history. He is fully available. We double-checked, triple-checked also with him personally and the club and medical department.
“There is no doubt about Reece’s quality and capability, what he can bring to us. As you all know, we want to be flexible and have a wider range. That’s why it was a pleasure to bring Reece back in.”
On ability alone, James would belong in any squad that England can assemble from active players. The one fear that Chelsea fans will have in the back of their minds is his workload because his injury record is so poor.
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
Where will Thomas Tuchel use Reece James?
In recent Chelsea games, James has been playing and impressing in a central midfield position.
It’s intriguing that Maresca viewed James as a midfielder since the first day he started working with him.
For most of his career, he’s been one of the world’s best right-backs. Speaking back in 2022, Tuchel discussed James as a wing-back, which is a role he can offer a lot in both offensively and defensively.
One possible hint about where Tuchel may use James for England is that he’s listed as a defender in the squad announcement.