As Thomas Tuchel gears up to announce his inaugural England squad on Friday for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, two names are generating significant buzz: Newcastle United’s towering defender Dan Burn and Arsenal’s teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly. With England facing a shortage of options on the left side of defense, both players are poised to earn their first senior call-ups, marking a blend of experience and youthful promise in Tuchel’s new era.
Burn, the 32-year-old Newcastle stalwart, has been a revelation this season, anchoring Eddie Howe’s backline with authority and versatility. Standing at 6’7”, Burn’s imposing presence has been a cornerstone of Newcastle’s defensive resilience, particularly at centre-half. However, it’s his ability to seamlessly shift to left-back—a position England desperately needs to reinforce—that has caught Tuchel’s eye.
The catalyst for Burn’s potential inclusion is the season-ending injury to Newcastle teammate Lewis Hall, who had emerged as one of England’s brightest left-back prospects before undergoing foot surgery earlier this month. Hall’s absence has left a void, and Burn’s standout performances, coupled with his experience playing on the left flank, make him a compelling candidate. Having logged more minutes than all but Bruno Guimarães at Newcastle this season, Burn’s consistency and leadership have not gone unnoticed.
“Dan’s been outstanding,” said former Newcastle defender Steve Howey on BBC Radio Newcastle. “He’s got the flexibility to play multiple roles, and with Hall out, he’s the natural fit for England.” Burn, who has never represented England at senior level, could finally see his patience rewarded after years of grinding through the lower leagues before his Premier League breakthrough.
On the other end of the spectrum is Arsenal’s 18-year-old starlet Lewis-Skelly, whose meteoric rise has made him one of the most talked-about prospects in English football. Despite only making his senior debut for Arsenal in September 2024, Lewis-Skelly has already displaced high-profile signings like Riccardo Calafiori to become Mikel Arteta’s first-choice left-back. His blend of technical flair, defensive tenacity, and positional versatility has drawn comparisons to some of England’s greatest talents.
Lewis-Skelly’s case for an England call-up is bolstered by the same injury crisis that has sidelined Hall, alongside ongoing fitness concerns for Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell’s lack of game time at Crystal Palace. The teenager’s breakthrough season reached a pinnacle with his first professional goal in Arsenal’s 5-1 demolition of Manchester City in February, a performance that prompted Jamie Carragher to liken him to Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney for his fearless impact.
“Myles is ready,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said recently. “It would be incredible for him to get that call, and he’s shown he can handle the big stage.” While Lewis-Skelly has yet to feature for England’s Under-21s, his rapid development has fueled calls for Tuchel to fast-track him straight into the senior setup, especially with qualifiers against Latvia and Albania looming.
With England’s left-back options dwindling, Tuchel faces a defining moment in his first squad selection. Burn offers a pragmatic, battle-tested solution, capable of slotting into a back three or four with ease. Lewis-Skelly, meanwhile, represents the future—a dynamic, ball-playing defender who could thrive in Tuchel’s possession-based system. Some have even suggested the new England boss might deploy Lewis-Skelly in his natural central midfield role, where he excelled in Arsenal’s academy, to unlock his full potential.
The clamor for both players reflects England’s current conundrum: balancing immediate needs with long-term planning. Burn’s call-up would be a nod to reliability and form, while Lewis-Skelly’s inclusion would signal Tuchel’s intent to blood the next generation ahead of the 2026 World Cup.