Thomas Tuchel makes controversial England U-turn as Nico O'Reilly replacement called up for Czech Republic match

England have announced that Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has been added to Thomas Tuchel's squad ahead of Tuesday's fixture with the Czech Republic.

The Three Lions conclude their September/October international break at Wembley on October 6, seeking a third straight win in League A Group 3 after victories over Czechia and Croatia.

England destroyed Croatia 7-0 on Saturday evening courtesy of goals from Harry Kane (2), Bukayo Saka (2), Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Jude Bellingham, to cement second place in the group.

Every member of Tuchel's current selection was included in the matchday squad against the Chequered Ones, as Man City's Nico O'Reilly withdrew through injury before the victory.

England confirmed at the time that no further replacements were planned, but in a late U-turn, Tuchel will welcome Lewis into his squad for Tuesday's fourth fixture.

Rico Lewis joins England squad for Czech Republic fixture

"Rico Lewis has been added to the England squad ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Czechia at Wembley Stadium," a statement on englandfootball.com read.

"The full-back joins from the MU21s, having helped Lee Carsley’s team secure qualification for the 2027 UEFA U21 EURO. Lewis has five senior caps to his name, winning the last of those in November 2024."

Lewis played the full 90 for England's Under-21s against Kazakhstan and Slovakia earlier in the international break, featuring as a right-back against the former and a left-back against the latter.

The 21-year-old made his England debut under Gareth Southgate in 2023 and featured four times during the Carsley tenure in late 2024, bringing him up to five caps for the national team.

Lewis had not been called up to the Three Lions senior team since November 2024, but he will now offer Tuchel a versatile defensive alternative for Tuesday's battle with the Czechs.

Does Rico Lewis deserve England call-up?

Lewis has almost certainly been added to the England ranks as left-back cover for Lewis Hall, who is without an alternative after O'Reilly pulled out before the Croatia thrashing.

Tuchel is well-covered on the opposite side with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jarell Quansah, but further injuries to Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Dan Burn mean that Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly - to an extent - are England's only left-sided defensive options.

While Lewis has made over 100 appearances for Man City, he has only been a bit-part player under Enzo Maresca, playing just 177 minutes across three matches in the 2026-27 season.

In contrast, Tyrick Mitchell has two goals in five Premier League games for Crystal Palace, while Manchester United's Luke Shaw is also available, although it makes more sense for Tuchel to call up a player who had already been working in an England camp this month.

Tuchel could have also selected Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray - another Under-21 option - instead, as the 20-year-old offers another versatile option, although he has played just seven games as a left-back in his club career.

Lewis's call-up therefore makes sense from a practical perspective, but his promotion amid a lack of starts for Man City means that Tuchel's decision is controversial nonetheless.