Rashford’s form will excite long-time admirer Tuchel

There’s an excitement at Aston Villa, and for more reasons than the fact they are on the brink of a first Champions League quarter-final in 42 years.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

Despite not being fully fit, Marcus Rashford has, in the brief period since signing from Manchester United, begun to excel at the club.

Villa’s staff expect the forward to arrive at 100 per cent this week, which would be quite the timing: just before Thomas Tuchel picks his first England squad. There is now a persuasive argument that Rashford should be back in the national team.

Tuchel may not even need much convincing. He has long been an admirer of Rashford, and wanted to bring him to Paris SaintGermain. The German even went so far as envisaging a specific role for him in attack, which could now be reimagined for England.

Tuchel has been keen to tell everyone that it’s now a clean slate with the national team, but his own knowledge of Rashford will help. One of the issues that the 27-year-old has had over the last two years – as Gareth Southgate was only too keen to point out – was the extent of the competition in the forward positions.

Now, that argument just doesn’t have the same merit.