Aston Villa's worst injury fears could be confirmed after bombshell England squad announcement

Aston Villa’s injury fears over Ollie Watkins are all but confirmed by Thomas Tuchel’s decision to ignore the striker in his first England squad announcement.

Watkins, an effective impact sub for the Three Lions at UEFA EURO 2024 last summer, hasn’t been included in Tuchel’s maiden roster. The 29-year-old hasn’t quite been firing at the same rate this season as he was last but he’s still been pivotal to Villa being competitive in a host of competitions and should ordinarily deserve a place.

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has been recalled to the Three Lions setup for the first time in 12 months, at least, in a huge boost for both the attacker and Villa. Fellow forward Morgan Rogers has also been included, while versatile defender Ezri Konsa has been given the nod to complete a Villa trinity.

Why isn’t Ollie Watkins in the England squad?

Watkins’ snub from the latest England squad suggests the injury he picked up against Club Brugge on Wednesday night is severe enough to cause concern. It was a stunning night at Villa Park as Unai Emery’s men secured a spot in the last eight of the Champions League but the 3-0 win came at a cost as Watkins was taken off with a knock.

Emery sounded hopeful during his post-match press conference that Watkins’ injury was only minor - and it still could be - but it’s certainly a worry that he’s not fit enough to play for England. It’s not like they’re meaningless international friendlies, after all, with Albania and Latvia the first two opponents in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

“Ollie Watkins, he told us to change him because he was not feeling good,” Emery admitted on Wednesday. “I don’t know exactly what his injury is, I think it is small. But we used in that moment the opportunity to play with Marcus Rashford as a striker and really he played the second half as a striker, performing well.”

Who has made the England squad instead of Watkins?

Harry Kane, who Tuchel worked with at Bayern Munich, was always going to be the lead striker in this squad announcement. The other selections were a little less obvious, though, with more players than spots available vying to make the team.

In the end, Tuchel has settled on just two out-and-out strikers in Kane and Dominic Solanke, with Rashford, Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen in support. The likes of Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze and Curtis Jones in midfield could also push forward into advanced positions if required.

Some rather eyebrow-raising names have been included elsewhere in the squad, led by Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson being handed a shock recall. Meanwhile, Arsenal and Newcastle United defenders Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn could make their England debuts after receiving their first-ever call-ups to the senior team.

Lewis-Skelly, just 18 years of age, has impressed in a breakthrough season under Mikel Arteta. The experienced Burn, 32, has patiently waited for this opportunity and will be eager to grab it with both hands.