Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah have been called up byThomas Tuchelfor England’s matches next month, and Conor Gallagher has also been included. But there is no presence in the squad for players including Harry Maguire, Marc Guéhi, Dominic Solanke and Phil Foden.
Toney is back for the first time since he left Brentford for the Saudi Premier League club Al-Ahli last summer. He has scored 29 goals in 43 games this season and won the Asian Champions League.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to see him live in Saudi Arabia,” Tuchel said, “so we took the possibility to fly him into our camp and watch him live, see his personality within the group and see his quality.”
Chalobah’s call-up is his first with the senior squad afterEnglandappearances at a number of age-group levels. He and Jude Bellingham, who is due to have shoulder surgery later this summer, are among the players included before they are due to go to the Club World Cup.
“Trevoh has stepped up massively since he went back to Chelsea [in Januaryfrom his loan at Crystal Palace],” Tuchel said. “In the last month, especially, he has had a major contribution to their run, he has been on of their most consistent and best defenders. He deserves his call-up and maybe he gets his first cap.”
Foden has not fully recovered from ankle ligament damage sustained in early April andsaid this weekin relation to an England call-up that it may be “better to rest and get my ankle fully 100% back”. Guéhi was in Tuchel’s previous squad and has not been included after lifting the FA Cup with Crystal Palace.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Ollie Watkins return after missing Tuchel’s first squad through injury. England play a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona on 7 June and face Senegal in a friendly in Nottingham three days later.
The international window sits in an awkward spot for Tuchel, coming after the domestic season has ended and before the Club World Cup begins in the US on 15 June. Players with England caps are involved with five teams at the tournament: Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid.