Calvert-Lewin problem emerges as questions are raised over Leeds star’s England selection

Danny Mills has raised major doubts about Thomas Tuchel’s decision to hand Dominic Calvert-Lewin an England recall and has urged him to think twice before throwing in the Leeds star at the deep end against world champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday.

Thomas Tuchel has announced the first England squad since the nation’s 2026 World Cup semi-final heartbreak, as they prepare for four UEFA Nations League games from 26 September to 6 October.

England will face Spain at home, Czech Republic away, Croatia away, and Czech Republic at home over the international break and boast an enlarged 27-man squad for the matches.

Notable inclusions see Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lewis Hall, and Morgan Gibbs-White – the latter replacing Cole Palmer – make the squad after missing out in the summer, whilst Alex Scott, amongst others, looking to pick up his first international cap.

Also recalled after missing out on the World Cup squad is Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who Mills believes is unlikely to have much of an impact due to England’s style of play.

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Mills believes Calvert-Lewin’s strengths don’t match England’s

As reported by Leeds Live, former Leeds player Mills has said that, whilst Calvert-Lewin was unfortunate not to make the recent World Cup, the powerful striker doesn’t match the Three Lions’ attacking tactics.

He said: “Dominic’s done really, really well. Dominic plays in a certain way, and Leeds play to his strengths.

“His strength is obviously his aerial ability, and that means getting crosses into the box. How many crosses into the box did England see in the World Cup? Very, very few. Especially when you play inverted wingers – wingers on the wrong side with the wrong foot, in old money terms. Those players are always having to check back.

“And that’s a very difficult skill for a centre forward, because you don’t get the opportunity to get a run on your defender.

“The ball is going towards goal; you’ve got to generate a lot of the power yourself. It’s a difficult skill; it makes it harder.

Despite his belief that England’s system doesn’t suit the Leeds forward, Mills does think Calvert-Lewin was unlucky over the summer.

“So, was he unlucky to miss out on the World Cup? Possibly. But England were never going to play to his strengths”, he continued.

“Not once did we see crosses thrown into the box from a right foot on the right and a left foot on the left.

“That’s still probably the case, I would say. Leeds are set up for that, with the wingbacks, with how they play, getting the ball forward; a strong, athletic team.

“So even if he gets his chance, my concern would be: do England play to his strengths? Probably not.”

Although there are questions around his suitability, Calvert-Lewin still has a great opportunity to earn a more permanent place in the England squad across the upcoming international break, and he will be looking to add to his four international goals from 12 caps.

With three goals in five games to start the season off, Leeds fans will also be hoping he can continue his strong run of form, with the Whites benefitting from two of the best three transfers made by Premier League clubs this summer.