Tuchel stands by World Cup decisions as Palmer and Alexander-Arnold return to England squad

Thomas Tuchel says he has no regrets about leaving out Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold from England’s World Cup squad, despite recalling both players for the upcoming Nations League campaign.

England begin their Nations League schedule against Spain at Wembley on 26 September, before facing Croatia and the Czech Republic home and away.

Palmer and Alexander-Arnold were absent from Tuchel’s World Cup selection but have been included after making strong starts to the season.

“They have made a good start and did nothing wrong; we simply chose other players previously, and now we are facing a new competition,” Tuchel said at Friday’s squad announcement.

“Cole has regained his outstanding numbers through assists and important goals, and I believe he wants to prove himself. The same applies to Trent. He was never outside our thinking, and this is his opportunity to show his best version in the camp as a right-back.”

On Alexander-Arnold’s battle for a place, Tuchel said: “He has to produce the required levels because the competition is open. He was not with us at the World Cup because we trusted other players, and I stand by that decision. But now it is time for him to fight for his place. He has always shown that he is ready to fight, and it is up to him to prove it during this long camp.”

Tuchel had expected greater continuity from the group that went to the World Cup, but injuries have created opportunities for other players.

“The door is always open based on performance, behaviour and commitment to the team spirit we have built,” he said. “I expected more continuity from the World Cup structure, but many players have been absent through injury, giving others the chance to emerge.

“We will not compromise the brotherhood mentality that took us so far, and I will not change too much between matches to avoid overloading them.”

England’s victory over France in the World Cup third-place play-off has strengthened Tuchel’s belief that his side can close the gap on the leading international teams.

“It is a great start to the Nations League,” he said. “We had excellent results in qualifying and played 10 matches in the United States, winning eight, drawing one and suffering one defeat. That defeat still hurts a lot. We want to repeat that outstanding run and go far in the Nations League.”

He added: “For us, the new cycle began with the win over France, who perhaps have the strongest squad in the world. That victory sets the direction for the next stage. We also feel we are closing the gap on world champions Spain, and our motivation could not be higher.”

Ben White was left out after withdrawing with an injury despite an impressive start to the season with Arsenal, where he had rediscovered his best form alongside Bukayo Saka on the right.

“His partnership with Saka is extremely valuable to us,” Tuchel said. “But unfortunately, bad luck always seems to follow Ben at decisive moments when the call-ups are made.”

Asked about England’s World Cup ambitions, Tuchel said winning the tournament was the only route to a star, but his current contract focuses on the European Championship. His immediate target is to win the Nations League and build a strong foundation for the Euros on home soil.

The manager also rejected any suggestion that he regretted excluding Palmer and Alexander-Arnold.

“I was very happy with the squad choices and we had seven wonderful weeks together,” he said. “The decisions in the match against Argentina were critical, and as a coach you cannot guarantee the outcomes. I will not allow 30 minutes at the World Cup to outweigh our assessment of what we achieved.”

Tuchel said Morgan Gibbs-White’s decisive performances for Nottingham Forest had justified his selection, while Palmer must reproduce his statistics to retain his place.

He joked that the Football Association had “reprimanded” him for his substitutions, before saying he had received complete support throughout the tournament and had no doubt their partnership would continue.

Tuchel admitted he was still dealing with mixed emotions before facing Spain, because England had created belief among supporters that they could go far, making the exit more painful. However, he said the team had also developed a family spirit and a mentality of never giving up.