James Garner Recalled to England Squad for UEFA Nations League
James Garner has been handed a route back into the England set-up, recalled by Thomas Tuchel for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures after a blistering start to the season with Everton.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who won his first cap in a friendly against Uruguay and a second against Japan in March, returns to the squad after a spate of high-profile withdrawals. Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer have all pulled out through injury, forcing Tuchel to reshuffle his options in the middle of the pitch.
Garner’s form made that decision straightforward. He has been at the heart of Everton’s unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign, starting four of their five matches and dictating play in Sean Dyche’s engine room. Within the Toffees squad, he sits joint-second for tackles per game and fourth for interceptions, a measure of his work without the ball. On it, he stands out even more: no Everton midfielder averages more passes per game.
That blend of aggression and control now drops straight into an England midfield that is being aggressively retooled. Garner will battle with Myles Lewis-Skelly, Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott for a spot in Tuchel’s preferred two-man central pairing, a role that demands both bite and bravery on the ball.
Gibbs-White returns with a point to prove
Garner is not the only returning face. Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is back in the squad after another sharp start to the season that has underlined his creative weight in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old has one goal and two assists from his first five league games, but the numbers behind those headline contributions are even more striking. No player in the division has created more big chances so far, and only two have produced more key passes per game. He is not just involved; he is driving Forest’s attacking play.
His recall comes after the frustration of missing out on the 2026 World Cup squad despite strong club form last season. Now, with Tuchel still shaping what his England side should look like, Gibbs-White has a fresh opening to force his way into the manager’s long-term plans.
Nations League test for Tuchel’s England
England’s squad will assemble on Tuesday to begin preparations for a demanding Nations League schedule: two games against Czechia, plus meetings with Spain and Croatia. It is a run that will test Tuchel’s tactical ideas and the depth of his reshaped midfield.
England finished third in the inaugural Nations League in 2018/19 and have not gone beyond that mark since. With Garner and Gibbs-White now thrown into the mix, Tuchel has new tools. The question is whether this refreshed core can finally push the Three Lions past that ceiling.
