Manchester City's Rico Lewis Replaces Injured Nico O'Reilly in England Squad

Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has been called up to the England senior squad for their upcoming Nations League fixture against the Czech Republic. He replaces club teammate Nico O'Reilly, who has been sidelined through injury.

Lewis had been away with England Under-21s, helping the Young Lions secure qualification for the 2027 U21 European Championship following a goalless draw against Slovenia on Friday. The versatile full-back already has five senior caps to his name, with his most recent appearance coming in November 2024, when he played the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 victory over Greece.

O'Reilly returned to Manchester earlier in the week after missing the initial fixture against the Czechs. The FA had initially stated that no replacement would be drafted in, but manager Thomas Tuchel appears to have reconsidered his options.

The Three Lions host the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday evening. England's campaign so far has seen a home loss to Spain followed by away victories in Prague and Rijeka, where they emphatically dispatched Croatia 7-0 on Monday.