Rico Lewis Joins England Squad as Nico O’Reilly Injury Replacement
Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has been added to Thomas Tuchel’s senior England squad for Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League meeting with the Czech Republic after fellow City player Nico O’Reilly was ruled out through injury.
Lewis arrives from the England Under-21 set-up, where he has helped secure qualification for the 2027 European Championship during the current international window. Tuchel had initially decided not to call in a replacement before Saturday’s 7-0 win over Croatia, but has moved to increase his defensive cover ahead of the next group fixture.
The 20-year-old has five England caps but has not played for the senior side since November 2024. His most recent appearance came in a 3-0 victory over Greece, when he operated at left-back. That display underlined the positional flexibility that could prove useful in Tuchel’s squad.
Limited City minutes before England recall
Lewis has had restricted involvement for Manchester City this season, making three appearances in all competitions. His only complete match was the Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City.
He played 57 minutes in the Premier League opener against Bournemouth and made a 30-minute appearance in the Community Shield against Arsenal. The England call provides an opportunity to return to the senior international picture despite his limited club action.
O’Reilly returns to Manchester for checks
O’Reilly left the England camp before the Croatia match after failing to recover from a knock. Tuchel had said he would do everything possible to have the player available, but the medical staff decided he could not take part and sent him back to Manchester City for further assessment.
The midfielder’s only involvement for England in this break was the 3-2 loss to Spain. He has otherwise been a regular for Enzo Maresca’s City side, recording six appearances as the club have opened their Premier League campaign with five wins from five and 15 points.
England are second in their Nations League group on six points, three behind unbeaten Spain. Croatia are third with three points, while the Czech Republic remain without a point. Tuchel’s team won 2-0 in Prague on September 29 in the reverse fixture, with Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scoring.
