The World Cup is getting closer and Thomas Tuchel will only have one more international break to assess his England options before he picks his 26-man squad.
One area that is perhaps the most up for grabs, is the left-back position. England are blessed with a plethora of different options, ranging from midfielders turned full-backs, experienced internationals and Swiss army knives who could benefit the squad.
Tuchel’s left-back options:
Nico O’Reilly
Nico O’Reilly has established himself as a Manchester City regular over the past 18 months. He first broke into the team as a left-back option for Pep Guardiola, despite developing as a central midfielder in the academy.
Now, Man City had some clear rest defence issues last season. They lacked the mobility and physicality to contain opposition transitions. This saw O’Reilly gain increased minutes in the side as Man City sought solutions.
Standing at around 6’3″, O’Reilly has the athletic qualities to cover ground defensively, carry the ball forwards with his long stride and make effective off ball runs to benefit those around him. He also has the technical ability to combine and contribute in build up.
The 20-year-old has already played 39 times in all competitions this season, scoring six goals and providing five assists.
Thirty of those games have come from left-back, but Guardialo has recently pushed O’Reilly back to his central midfiel roots. And the decision has seen good reward, with O’Reilly scoring three goals in his past five games in midfield.
Tuchel has already given O’Reilly his first two England caps, using him at left-back in both games. But O’Reilly’s versatility should not be understated, and will be a tactical weapon Tuchel will not want to be leaving at home.
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Lewis Hall
Lewis Hall is another option for Tuchel at left-back. Tuchel was the one to give the young full-back his Chelsea debut back in 2022.
Hall is another player who came through the academy as a midfielder much. But he has fully converted to a left-back during his time at Newcastle.
The 21-year-old is yet to make an appearance under Tuchel for England due to injuries, but Hall is putting up some good numbers this season. He’s quite easily one of Newcastle’s best players this campaign.
Hall has averaged 3.17 take-ons attempted per 90 minutes this season completing 2.07. He helps to break man-for-man pressing schemes with his press resistance and ability to carry the ball.
The left-back has also created 1.03 chances per 90, with 0.26 of those being big chances. He averages 84.38 touches per 90 too, which shows his involvement in all phases of play.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Perhaps Tuchel’s go-to pick at left-back since taking the England job. Myles Lewis-Skelly has played six times for his country, also scoring on his debut in March 2025.
The biggest issue with this is the 19-year-old’s minutes for Arsenal this season. He has only played 1,297 minutes and finds himself as the third-choice left-back behind Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie.
Much like both Hall and O’Reilly, Lewis-Skelly also came through the academy as a midfielder, having similar press resistant qualities and composure on the ball.
His main role for both club and country has been playing as an inverted full-back, drifting into midfield zones and utilising his skill set in possession.
Others?
Tuchel does have a few other options for left-backs in the England squad, with Luke Shaw managing 27 Premier League appearances this season — the most he has managed since the 2022-23 season.
Shaw has 34 caps for England, being a more experienced option for the squad at 30 years old and playing his part in the 2014 World Cup, Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup and even Euro 2024.
Another option could be Tottenham’s Djed Spence who, despite being right-footed, has found himself playing at left-back a lot over the past 12 months.
The 25-year-old would offer something different to the squad, being a more attack-minded option in both full-back positions, even playing as a winger earlier in his career.
Other options for Tuchel include Tyrick Mitchell, Dan Burn and even Ben Chilwell who has been revitalised playing at Strasbourg this season.
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