Reece James awaiting Thomas Tuchel call as England reunion decision looms | OneFootball

Reece James will be hoping to receive a call-up from England head coach Thomas Tuchel this week.

For the first time following his appointment, Tuchel will name his England squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia later this month, with both games taking place at Wembley.

Tuchel has been in attendance across Europe to take a closer look at individuals ahead of his first squad selection and many decisions are hanging in the balance.

One player hoping to get a call up is Reece James, who worked with Tuchel during their time at Chelsea together, which saw the pair win the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup before Tuchel was dismissed in September 2022.

James, who missed Chelsea's 1-0 win over Leicester City on Sunday in the Premier League due to illness, has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, however has made six league appearances since returning in January.

James celebrating his goal against Copenhagen in the Conference League last-16 last week in Denmark. / IMAGO / Michael Barrett Boesen

Current Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca now sees James as a midfielder, a position he played during his loan spell at Wigan Athletic, which is likely to have been influenced to prevent and reduce the risk of future injuries.

"You can ask Reece, the day after I signed with Chelsea, I sent him a video about seeing him as a midfielder," Maresca recently revealed.

"I see Reece as a midfielder, not just now but since day one. Before I met him for the first time, when he was on holiday, I sent him a clip of how he could play as a midfielder.

"So I imagined him playing as a midfielder a long time ago. He is playing (there) now, but the good thing is this season he has played as a full-back, a central defender, many positions, but the main target for us is to help him stay fit all season."

It's a decision James has come to terms with and accepted, with the 25-year-old prepared to grasp the opportunity with both hands as they look to clinch Champions League qualification for next season.

"The way the manager plays is different,” James told Standard Sport following Maresca's comments. “Rewind three years ago, we had a different manager, a different system."

James (left) and Maresca (right) in conversation - the Chelsea captain is highly thought of by the Italian. / IMAGO / Action Plus

He added: “I'm not the decider of the position I play. It's up to the manager, where he wants to set people up and the rest is down to us. It's a role that I'm fairly used to and with time playing there, I will improve.”

With James finding some form in recent weeks, he will be hoping to receive some good news from Tuchel ahead of Friday's squad announcement.

James won't be the only Chelsea player eyeing a call up. Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer will both be expecting call ups, with Trevoh Chalobah, who also worked under Tuchel, likely to be under consideration.

Reece James' England hopes and Thomas Tuchel conversation

His last appearance in an England shirt came as a substitute back in March 2023 against Italy. James will be keen to end his Three Lions absence and admits it would be an 'honour' to return to the England set-up.

“It's always an honour to represent my country," said James. "I focus so much on staying fit and staying healthy and performing to the best of my ability. It's always an honour to represent and I always hope to get called up.”

On speaking to Tuchel since his England appointment, James added: “Yes, I have spoken to him since he's got the job. We have good memories together."