Thomas Tuchel will not influence the selection of England’s next squad despite his appointment as the national team’s next permanent head coach.
Current interim boss Lee Carsley will announce his party for the final UEFA Nations League fixtures against Greece and Ireland on Thursday – but Tuchel does not intend to have any input on the pending selection.
The former Chelsea boss officially starts work on January 1 – and Tuchel and the Football Association are standing firmly by the German’s contract.
Next week’s fixtures – Carsley’s last before he returns to Under-21 duty – could help sway Tuchel in terms of his first squad selection for March’s games.
Nevertheless, he plans to let Carsley pick the squad without interference, though he is expected to watch the games from home as he monitors his players from afar.
Thomas Tuchel (above) will not influence the selection of England’s next squad on Thursday
England interim Lee Carsley will fully decide the squad for next week’s Nations League games
Tuchel will begin his post as permanent manager on January 1 and will not interfere until then
Carsley already faces mounting injury issues ahead of the clashes against Greece and Ireland with John Stones, Eberechi Eze, Kobbie Mainoo and Jack Grealish emerging as fitness concerns.
On a brighter note, Chelsea captain Reece James has returned to action following his latest injury and has started the club’s last three Premier League games.
It remains to be seen whether Carsley is willing to select James given his injury history and the fact he has only recently returned to full fitness.
But the Blues star is highly-rated by England staff and would, in normal circumstances, be guaranteed a place in the squad.
Chelsea full-back Reece James is back in contention for England after returning from injury
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish is one of a handful of England stars with fitness concerns
If Grealish is unavailable – Jarrod Bowen or Morgan Rogers will be hoping for a call-up, while Newcastle defender Lewis Hall could be an option given England’s problems at left-back.
Meanwhile, it is also understood that that Tuchel will not attend next month’s World Cup 2026 qualifying draw in Zurich as all parties stick steadfastly to his start date.