Loftus-Cheek had given up on England recall
Thomas Tuchel named AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek in England's squad to take on Andorra and Serbia this month.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has claimed he "completely forgot" about pushing for an England recall.
Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel has reinstated AC Milan midfielder Loftus-Cheek to the England squad for the upcoming matches against Andorra and Serbia.
The 29-year-old’s last appearance for the national team came in November 2018, when England faced the United States in a friendly.
Loftus-Cheek’s inclusion follows the withdrawal of Adam Wharton, who suffered an adductor injury in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
The former Chelsea midfielder conceded that he did not believe he would play for his country again.
"I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead," he said, as reported by BBC Sport.
Loftus-Cheek’s England call-up sets up a reunion with his former Chelsea boss Tuchel, under whom he made 40 appearances in all competitions during the 2021-22 campaign as either a right wing-back or midfielder.
"I played many positions under Tuchel and he values my physicality so I am used to working under him," Loftus-Cheek added.
"He is very intelligent and knows the game so well. Hopefully, we can do well to connect with him."
Loftus-Cheek joined Milan in 2023 and has made 71 appearances for the Italian giants, registering 11 goals and three assists.
This includes the opening goal in the Rossoneri’s last match, a 2-0 victory over Lecce, in which he also recorded four shots, one key pass, and 90.9% pass accuracy as Milan collected their first Serie A points of the 2025-26 season.
England face Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday, before an away tie against Serbia next week.
