Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Manchester United can now take away both pros and cons from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad announcement for the extended October international break.
The major positive for the Red Devils has been that Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford were included in the 27-man England team on Friday morning.
Both Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have been key Manchester United first-team players for Michael Carrick in the opening stages of the new campaign.
However, United In Focus has now looked at some of the other impacts that Thomas Tuchel’s England decision has had for United ahead of the October break.
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1. Harry Maguire — his England exodus continues under Thomas Tuchel
Harry Maguire was able to climb back into the England squad under Thomas Tuchel during the March international break in the 2025-26 Premier League season. However, the 33-year-old former Man Utd captain could not convince England boss Tuchel that he should be in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad in the summer.
Harry Maguire publicly spoke out about Tuchel’s decision not to take him to the FIFA tournament in North America after he enjoyed a resurgence under Michael Carrick. Once a key pick for Sir Gareth Southgate, the United centre-back is now struggling to re-establish his importance for the Three Lions.
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2. Luke Shaw — the long hill back to the England squad has become even steeper
Luke Shaw enjoyed one of his better seasons at Old Trafford in the 2025-26 campaign after he played in all 38 Premier League matches for United. The 31-year-old England international navigated a relatively injury-free season and performed well under Michael Carrick as well.
However, Luke Shaw has been sidelined again early in the new season due to a recent injury setback and was snubbed for the October international break. The United left-back faces a huge task in trying to climb back into the England squad after last featuring for the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final.
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3. Mason Mount — an impossible comeback to the England side now?
Just like Luke Shaw, Mason Mount has been unable to escape the impact that injuries have had on his spell at Man Utd. The 27-year-old former England international is familiar with Tuchel after playing under him at Premier League side Chelsea.
Mount has had a choppy start to the 2026-27 Premier League season after a late injury setback in pre-season curtailed his early momentum from the summer. The United No 7 has not featured for England since the 2022 World Cup under Sir Gareth Southgate and his exodus from the Three Lions seems like an impossible challenge to undo.