Tuchel Excludes Maguire from England Squad – Mainoo and Rashford Called Up
Thomas Tuchel has turned to Manchester United for part of England’s next chapter – but he has made it clear Harry Maguire is no longer on the same page.
The England head coach has called up United pair Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford for the extended international break, rewarding their early-season form with places in a squad that will face Spain, Czechia and Croatia in the Nations League.
Mainoo’s rise continues, Rashford gets another chance to reassert himself on the international stage – and Maguire stays on the outside looking in.
Tuchel unimpressed with Maguire outburst
Maguire’s absence from Tuchel’s World Cup squad still lingers in the background. The centre-back, now a key figure under Michael Carrick at Old Trafford, expected to be on the plane after a strong campaign. Instead, he watched the tournament from afar and made his feelings public.
"I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had," Maguire wrote on social media at the time. "I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer."
The reaction did not stop there. His mother, Zoe, posted that she was "absolutely disgusted" by the call. His brother Joe went even stronger: "This might possibly be the worst decision I've ever seen in my life. No words."
The family’s anger travelled quickly. So did Maguire’s own version of events.
During a trip to New York as a guest on The Rest is Football podcast, Maguire explained how he learned he had been dropped. "He [Tuchel] FaceTimes everyone. It was quite an awkward call," he said.
"I said straightaway I was really disappointed. I thought I did enough to be in the squad and thought I could have helped and had a part to play on and off the pitch. He said he can't give me an excuse but he had gone with the four lads who got him through the qualifiers.
"It was tough to take. I did think I would be in the squad after being selected for the March camp under him for the first time. I did really well in both games and then went back to Manchester United and finished the season really strongly."
Tuchel has now responded. And he did not dress it up.
Speaking after announcing his latest England squad, he told talkSPORT he was far from impressed with how Maguire handled the snub. "It does not help," Tuchel said. "I will not hold it against him for the rest of his life, because I’m not that type of person. I can forget easily and quickly.
"But I didn’t like it and it doesn’t help. I’ve not spoken to him since."
A clear line drawn. No public feud, no ongoing grudge, but no contact either.
United’s new England faces
While Maguire’s international future hangs in the balance, two of his club team-mates are firmly in Tuchel’s plans.
Kobbie Mainoo, the latest product of United’s academy, has forced his way into the England picture with a series of composed, mature displays in midfield. His selection underlines how quickly his reputation has grown.
Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, keeps his place among the attacking options. His form this season has been strong enough to convince Tuchel he can still influence games at the highest level, both from the start and off the bench.
So United send two players into England camp. One rising, one reasserting. One left behind, still dealing with the fallout of a phone call that changed the direction of his international career.
The Nations League will tell Tuchel plenty about his current choices. The bigger question is whether there will ever be room again for Maguire in that England dressing room – or whether that awkward FaceTime remains the moment the door quietly closed.
