Can Tuchel’s Nations League Squad Redeem His World Cup Selection?

After guiding England to a bronze medal at the 2026 World Cup in the USA and Canada, Thomas Tuchel has named a 27-man squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia.

The selection includes several notable returns, fresh opportunities for some of England’s emerging talents. A few decisions that suggest Tuchel has reflected on the shortcomings exposed during the World Cup.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Jason Steele.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrad Branthwaite, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly, Jarell Quansah.

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Alex Scott.

Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Rio Ngumoha, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka.

Mavericks (Palmer, trent) back in contention?

In the post-match press conference for the semi-final defeat to Argentina, Tuchel was critical of England’s inability to keep hold of the ball under pressure. He said it could be a ‘DNA’ problem, yet you have to say that leaving some of England’s finest players at home was a mistake.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer are two of England’s most technically gifted players. They could have given the Argentinians something to think about had they been at the World Cup.

Nevertheless, this is a wonderful opportunity for the pair of them to prove to the manager that not taking them to the World Cup was a big mistake.

Scott, Branthwaite, Hall deserving of a call-up

Alex Scott, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Lewis Hall were amongst the players who unluckily missed out on the plane to North America in the summer.

Despite finishing third, England had issues with their back line, especially in the full-back areas, with Nico O’Reilly being the only out-and-out option.

Djed Spence and Dan Burn did an excellent job to cover for that position; however, Spence looked far more comfortable at right-back. Burn was only used as a substitute against Mexico, Norway, and Argentina.

Also, playing a Right-Back at Left-Back, cost England the natural width on the left flank. This allowed the genius in Lionel Messi to take control of the final half hour.

Had a natural replacement for O’Reilly, in Hall been there, England may have been able to shut Messi down, or give him something else to think about.

Even though he doesn’t want to admit it publicly, surely Tuchel wishes that he had taken an out-and-out left-back like Hall to the World Cup.

Can Lewis-Skelly and Ngumoha seize the opportunity?

Amongst the finest young talents are the Arsenal midfielder and Liverpool left winger.

After impressing in his debut season, Ngumoha was handed a cap by Tuchel in one of England’s World Cup warm-up games against New Zealand in Tampa.

It was the only chance he got to impress, as Tuchel left him out of the final 26.

What was most impressive about him was his injection of raw pace and excellent dribbling.

A half-hour burst from him against Argentina when England were under the cosh could have been a solution to combat the relentless attacks from Messi and co.

As for Lewis-Skelly, another name who should have been at the World Cup, it’s a chance to carry his impressive start for Arsenal this season into an England shirt.

Can he impress on the international stage again?

In terms of the squad as a whole, it’s an intriguing one.

You would think that Tuchel would have really thought about England’s semi-final defeat and the lessons from it.

The next international window will certainly decide that.

Is this the first step towards redemption for Tuchel in terms of squad selection?

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