Matthew Wilkinson

Tue 25 March 2025 11:00, UK

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke was nowhere to be seen this week despite earning another call-up to the England squad.

Thomas Tuchel got off to a perfect start as the Three Lions boss by winning his first two games in charge without much of a hiccup.

England comfortably defeated Albania 2-0 and then dominated Latvia with a 3-0 win on Monday, in games that were routine, albeit far from exciting.

Three Lions fans were excited to see the team play under a new manager and were keen for fresh faces to be given opportunities, which happened for the likes of Dan Burn and Myles Lewis-Skelly, but not everyone was given a run-out under Tuchel.

Solanke failed to impress Tuchel

Solanke has had a mixed first season for Spurs after making his £55million move from Bournemouth last summer, failing to hit the heights he proved himself capable of for the Cherries.

However, the 27-year-old was called up to Tuchel’s first England squad ahead of players like Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, but that didn’t guarantee him any minutes.

In fact, Solanke didn’t play a single second of international football throughout England’s two games, with Tuchel opting not to give him a run-out.

Instead, it was England’s leading goalscorer Harry Kane who got to start both games upfront, with the Three Lions captain rewarding his former Bayern Munich manager’s faith by scoring a goal in each fixture.

Tuchel already has his ‘favourites’

It’s unlikely that anyone is going to dislodge the former Spurs striker from being Tuchel’s first-choice option upfront for England, at least for the immediate future.

However, Tottenham fans were left disappointed that Solanke didn’t get any minutes to prove himself and showcase his talent on the international stage.

Fans pointed out that old faces such as Jordan Henderson were allowed the opportunity to play, which was a source of frustration for many.