“It doesn’t help”: Thomas Tuchel says Man United ace’s actions have damaged his England future

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Manchester United defender Harry Maguire’s chances of returning to the England setup has been assessed by Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel. The English defender was famously overlooked by the German manager for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite an impressive second half of the campaign with the Red Devils.

That decision prompted Maguire to express his frustration on social media, while the decision was also heavily criticised by the player’s family members. Tuchel was surprised by the reaction from the veteran defender and even responded to the criticism.

Maguire eventually secured a place on Gary Lineker’s Rest Is Football podcast during the World Cup, where he revealed intricate details about Tuchel’s decision. England went on to reach the semi-final of the tournament, where they were defeated by Argentina.

The Three Lions ultimately finished third at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France in the third-place play-off. Maguire, meanwhile, swallowed his disappointment and has since returned to action with United this season.

Maguire’s season so far with United

Maguire forged a rock-solid partnership with Lisandro Martinez last season after a switch to a back four following Michael Carrick’s arrival in January. With the Argentine unavailable at the beginning of the new campaign, the Englishman partnered Ayden Heaven at the back for the first game against Hull City.

Unfortunately, United started their season with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Tigers. Maguire has started every game in the Premier League since then alongside the fit-again Martinez, but the Red Devils are yet to keep a clean sheet, conceding seven goals in four games.

The 33 year old was rested for the Champions League tie against Sabah last week, where Leny Yoro partnered Martinez at the back. The English giants won the game 4-0, and that remains their only clean sheet of the season.

Maguire was also on the bench for the disappointing 3-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in the EFL Cup earlier this week. Yoro started alongside Heaven for the game, with the United backline torn apart by the Seagulls in the second half.

Despite the Red Devils’ poor start to the season, Kobbie Mainoo has been called up to the England squad for the upcoming internationals. However, there is no place in the mix for Maguire, with United’s defensive woes not doing him any favours.

With the English defender overlooked once again and set to miss out on the upcoming internationals, Tuchel has now opened up on the situation.

Door not entirely closed for Maguire

Speaking to the press, as cited by the Mirror, Tuchel acknowledged that he did not like the player’s reaction to missing out on the World Cup squad. However, the German manager appeared to hint that the door is not entirely closed on the English defender’s possible return to the Three Lions setup.

Tuchel said: “It doesn’t help. It does not help. I will not hold it against him for the rest of his life because I’m not that type of person. I can forget easily and quickly, but I didn’t like it and it doesn’t help.”

Final Thoughts

United fans will not be too bothered about Maguire’s recent England snub, as it will ensure that the player remains fit once club football resumes after the international break. With Matthijs de Ligt still sidelined, and Yoro and Heaven failing to impress, the English defender remains vital to the Red Devils’ plans at the moment.