Thomas Tuchel has said England will not enjoy success by collecting the “most talented players,” amid criticism of his decision to omit Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish from his October international squad.
England take on Wales in a friendly on Thursday night before heading to Latvia on Tuesday to contest a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
There were eyebrows raised when Tuchel confirmed his 24-player squad last week, with the German opting to overlook Bellingham despite his return to fitness at Real Madrid, as well as Foden and Grealish—both of whom have been in good form for their clubs lately.
Grealish has played particularly well for Everton since joining the club on loan from Manchester City, reviving a career that had started to stall at the Etihad Stadium. Tuchel insisted in his initial press conference that he had “no problem” with the 30-year-old or Foden, also stressing that Bellingham’s absence was more to do with the “team work” and “team spirit” of those who played in September rather than anything more sinister.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash with Wales, Tuchel was again pressed on his selections, and he made a pointed remark that England cannot expect to achieve anything if they pick players purely on individual ability—a statement many may perceive to be a slight against Bellingham, Foden and Grealish, all of whom have been praised in the past for their unique talents.
Tuchel: England Are Trying to Build a Team
I'm not surprised I'm questioned about my decisions.Thomas Tuchel speaking to reporters.
“We can only make it happen [a World Cup win] if we arrive with a strong, strong team,” Tuchel said.
“I just watched a documentary on the New England Patriots and saw a quote there: 'We don't collect the most talented players, we build a team'. I cannot agree more. That's what we're trying to do.
“We decided to stick mostly with the team that had a brilliant camp last time. Already we have some injuries, we cannot play with the same XI against Serbia, because four players are already missing. It's natural we have changes.
“But we believe in what we're building, we believe in what we feel, we believe in what we're seeing with this team and this squad and the competition is on.
“I'm not surprised I'm questioned about my decisions and people agree or don't agree but that's the nature of the job. The feedback after our last match was very positive and all the credit goes to the team. The fans in the stadium and at home felt we played as a team, that was most important.
Kane Ruled out of England’s Clash With Wales
Tuchel also confirmed that England captain Harry Kane will not play against Wales as a result of an ankle injury picked up in Bayern Munich’s 3–0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
“It was too risky he gets another kick and be in an up and down situation pain-wise,” Tuchel commented. “We gave him the chance that everything calms down. We are convinced he'll be ready for the match against Latvia.”
Ollie Watkins would appear to be the leading contender to replace Kane up front, though Tuchel could also opt to play Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford centrally. He will also need to pick a new skipper for the game against Wales—Jordan Henderson, John Stones and Declan Rice the players in contention to take the armband.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Thomas Tuchel’s Pointed Remark Sheds Light on Omitted England Trio.
