Thomas Tuchel has made eight changes to his England squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, with Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold both recalled following their absence from the World Cup group. Here’s a full breakdown of the key selection talking points.
Where Does Palmer Fit?
Cole Palmer’s start to the season for Chelsea has been outstanding, with four goals and two assists in six games, and his combination play with Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro has been genuinely exciting to watch. Tuchel acknowledged Palmer’s numbers speak for themselves, pointing to his assists and decisive goals as evidence the forward has a point to prove after missing out on the World Cup squad entirely.
That omission may ultimately have benefited Palmer, who struggled with injury last season and looked well below his best following the previous summer’s Club World Cup. A period of rest appears to have left him refreshed and closer to his peak form. The bigger question now is where Tuchel actually fits him into the side. Jude Bellingham firmly established himself in the number ten role at the World Cup, Bukayo Saka is back to full fitness and thriving on the right for Arsenal, and Anthony Gordon continues to impress on the left at Barcelona after a strong summer with England. Rogers has also become a key figure under Tuchel, meaning finding a way to accommodate both Chelsea attackers together will be an intriguing puzzle given the depth of options available.
Tuchel Promises Mainoo Will Play
Kobbie Mainoo’s recall follows a World Cup in which he was the only outfield player not to feature for a single minute. Tuchel has promised things will be different this time for the in form Manchester United midfielder, saying it’s his responsibility to get Mainoo on the pitch and admitting the lack of minutes at the World Cup was entirely on him rather than any failing from the player. Tuchel praised Mainoo’s conduct throughout the tournament, noting the genuine competition he faced from Reece James, Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice in midfield, and accepted that trust in those other options came at Mainoo’s expense. With a three week camp spanning four fixtures ahead, there should be real opportunities for Mainoo to prove his worth this time.
Alexander-Arnold’s Surprise Recall
An Englishman playing for Real Madrid being selected for England shouldn’t ordinarily raise eyebrows, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inclusion marks a genuine reversal from Tuchel, who had previously said the former Liverpool full back didn’t fit the profile he wanted at right back, and had repeatedly overlooked him, even when injury elsewhere created an obvious opportunity before the World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold hadn’t featured in an England squad since the summer of 2025. Asked what had changed, Tuchel said he was never truly unselectable, and that this camp represents his chance to show his best form as a right back for the national team. His club form alone hasn’t been the deciding factor. He has just one assist from five Real Madrid appearances this season, and his recent deployment in central midfield for a Champions League win over Inter Milan underlined the ongoing challenge managers face in getting the most from his profile. Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, who used him centrally due to injuries elsewhere, praised his effort in that unfamiliar role while also noting the physical demands and occasional lapses in possession that came with it. Alexander-Arnold is also facing fresh competition for his club position, with summer signing Denzel Dumfries now challenging him at right back, following on from a battle with Dani Carvajal last season. His attacking quality remains obvious, but defensive question marks persist, and how Tuchel chooses to use him will be worth following closely.
Could England “Embrace the Chaos”?
Tuchel previously drew criticism for suggesting England’s players lacked the technical foundation to control high pressure matches in possession the way a side like Spain can, following the World Cup defeat to Argentina. Recalling technically gifted players like Palmer and Alexander-Arnold seemed to acknowledge that some of England’s best ball players had been left out of the original squad. Yet in his press conference, Tuchel hinted at a different solution entirely, suggesting England might be better served leaning into their natural strengths rather than fighting for control.
Reflecting further on the Argentina defeat, Tuchel said he now sees more value in playing with the freedom and directness shown in spells against Croatia and France, a style he feels reflects the identity of the Premier League itself. He acknowledged that football without complete control can be difficult for a coach to fully embrace, but pointed to England’s thrilling 6-4 game against France as an example of a style many neutral fans considered one of the most enjoyable matches to watch. Tuchel suggested he may need to compromise on his own instinct for control and allow more chaos into England’s approach if it brings out the best in his players, while stressing that any tactical adjustment will always be built around the strengths of the squad first.
Gibbs-White Squeezed Out Again
Morgan Gibbs-White has every right to feel frustrated by his continued omission. The 26 year old was outstanding for Nottingham Forest last season, scoring 15 Premier League goals and adding four assists, and has continued that form into the new campaign. Competition in the number ten area remains intense, with Palmer’s recall joining a group that already includes Bellingham, Rogers and Eberechi Eze.
Tuchel explained the numbers simply don’t work in Gibbs-White’s favour at the moment, saying it makes little sense to select three, four or five recognised number tens at once, while acknowledging Gibbs-White’s form and his importance to Forest avoiding relegation last season. Gibbs-White may reasonably question why Eze was preferred, given the Arsenal forward hasn’t started a Premier League match this season and produced roughly half of Gibbs-White’s goal involvements last term. Tuchel added that simply being recalled, as Palmer has been, is different from actually performing once back in the squad, stressing that Palmer specifically needs to deliver the kind of numbers and performances that justify his return in order to keep his place.
Is Foden’s England Future in Doubt?
Gibbs-White isn’t the only number ten left out in the cold. Phil Foden also missed out, having already been overlooked for the World Cup squad itself. The Manchester City forward had featured in Tuchel’s squads as recently as March this year and November 2025, but this latest omission follows a promising start to the season being interrupted by a red card in last weekend’s Manchester derby. With competition in that area of the pitch fiercer than ever, Foden now faces a genuine battle to win back Tuchel’s trust and reclaim his place.
Room Made for England’s Next Generation
Tuchel has shifted notably away from the more experienced group he selected for the World Cup, dropping established figures like Jordan Henderson, Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins to make room for a wave of younger talent, including Myles Lewis-Skelly, Alex Scott and Rio Ngumoha, all under 23, with Ngumoha having only turned 18 within the past month.
Ngumoha’s inclusion is easily the most eye catching. The teenager travelled with England’s squad for pre tournament training in Florida and has featured in five of Liverpool’s six matches to start the season, earning his call up despite not yet recording a direct goal contribution this campaign. Lewis-Skelly and Scott arguably represent more straightforward selections. Lewis-Skelly has excelled for unbeaten league leaders Arsenal, registering two assists from a deep midfield role while keeping £75 million summer signing Bruno Guimaraes out of the starting eleven. Scott has continued building on an impressive previous season in which he was a key figure for a Bournemouth side that reached European football for the first time, form that also attracted transfer interest from clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United over the summer.
Tuchel spoke warmly about all three players’ time in the pre World Cup training camp, describing Scott, Ngumoha and Fulham’s Josh King as excellent characters who showed real quality, courage and curiosity on the pitch. Whether this represents a genuine tactical shift remains to be seen, but Tuchel’s first squad since the World Cup shows a clear willingness to give the next generation a chance.
England Squad in Full
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton), James Trafford (Leeds United)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Trevoh Chalobah (Como), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarrell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Alex Scott (Bournemouth)
Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
England’s Nations League Fixtures
- Saturday 26 September: vs Spain (Home), kick-off 7:45pm
- Tuesday 29 September: vs Czech Republic (Away), kick-off 7:45pm
- Saturday 3 October: vs Croatia (Away), kick-off 5pm
- Tuesday 6 October: vs Czech Republic (Home), kick-off 7:45pm
