Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Sat 28 March 2026 15:10, UK

Dominic Calvert-Lewin just can’t seem to shake off his Leeds United problems.

The striker made his first England appearance in five years during the 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay on Friday night, but left Thomas Tuchel with more questions than answers.

He was brought on after 56 minutes at Wembley but did not take his big opportunity, a major blow to his hopes of becoming Harry Kane’s deputy at the World Cup this summer.

Calvert-Lewin skewed a header wide of the gaping goal after Cole Palmer’s cross, despite arriving unmarked at the back post, and took just eight touches in total.

The frontman’s goal drought has come at the worst possible time, with Leeds fighting to stay in the Premier League, and his Three Lions outing certainly didn’t help matters.

Familiar issues damage Calvert-Lewin’s England hopes

It was obvious that Calvert-Lewin came into the match cold and stuck in the midst of a six-game scoring drought. He looked short on sharpness despite some neat combination play.

During this barren run, the No 9 has often arrived late to chances or miscued his efforts in promising positions, damaging his confidence at such a crucial part of the campaign.

Perhaps second-guessing himself as he looks to rediscover his magic touch, he looks a second slower in comparison to his heroics from earlier in the season.

The same applied to his cameo for the Three Lions. Calvert-Lewin was rarely where his team-mates needed him, and they lost a focal point after he replaced Dominic Solanke.

His back against the wall, the ace couldn’t stamp his authority on the friendly, taking just two shots and completing two of his four attempted passes, a measly 50 per cent hit rate.

According to Sofascore, Calvert-Lewin also lost possession twice on a night to forget, which now leaves his World Cup hopes hanging in the balance.

Post-match, Tuchel admitted he had expected him to ripple the net.

“He had the big chance, and he’s upset with himself,” said the Three Lions boss. “It’s normally a clear goal. He could have made a statement straight away.”

One last chance to win over Thomas Tuchel

Calvert-Lewin looks to have blown his England chance, but he will likely get one more opportunity to convince Tuchel to name him in his squad for the showpiece.

He came into the international break on the back foot, with pundits and punters alike claiming that Brighton’s Danny Welbeck should have been called up ahead of him.

Unfortunately, the Leeds man did little to prove them wrong.

While he did superbly to force his way back into the international fold, the odds of him travelling this summer are narrowing.

England will next host Japan on Tuesday in their final friendly ahead of the World Cup, with Tuchel to then retreat to decide his final 26-man group.

At present, Calvert-Lewin’s inclusion could be decided by the toss of a coin.