England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that forward Marcus Rashford is struggling to deliver standout performances for the national team.
Speaking after England’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday, Tuchel said Rashford showed only flashes of quality and lacked the “wow” factor expected at international level.
“He struggles a bit with numbers and with the ‘wow’ performance in an England shirt, I agree,” Tuchel said. “But as long as he trains like he did and behaves and is active and alive in the group, then we will always trust him and push him and support him. I can see that he tries. For me, the most important thing is that he stays positive and he trains with the right attitude, with a smile and with a lot of quality.”
The 27-year-old forward, currently on loan at Barcelona, has had limited playing time at club level and faces a challenge to secure a place in England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel, who replaced Gareth Southgate as England manager, has also come under scrutiny, with some fans questioning whether the team has regressed under his leadership.
England will next face Serbia on Tuesday in what is expected to be a tough qualifier. It remains unclear if Rashford will start in that match.
