"We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else." If anyone was in any doubt as to whether England manager Thomas Tuchel planned to stick to his fairly unpopular selection policy with the World Cup fast approaching, those pointed words ahead of the friendly victory over Wales more or less confirmed it.
To date, the German tactician's tenure has been punctuated by questionable calls on who deserves a place in his squad, with a number of in-form hopefuls overlooked and the likes of Jordan Henderson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek surprisingly ushered back in from the international wilderness.
"That's how it is in international football," the Three Lions' boss continued. "But the thing you are playing [back to me] is not what I am saying. You are playing the game that says: 'He (Tuchel) is saying the others who aren't in the team, you cannot build a team with them'. It's not like this. We built a team with the players who were available and they did so well so we go again with them. Nobody said we can't do the same with them. Or even better, or maybe the same level, with the others."
However, Tuchel's determination to stick with the same group in October that impressed him in the September international break has led to more controversial snubs, with some of the country's biggest names left out with only a handful of games remaining before England, barring an absolute catastrophe in those final qualification matches, will be lining up at the World Cup in North America next summer.
"For this moment we stick with our choice and the radical statement is that we don't collect the most talented players," the manager continued. "We collect the guys who have the glue and cohesion to be the best team. Because we need to arrive as the best team. We will arrive as underdogs at the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time. So we have to arrive as a team or we will have no chance."
This was a stark warning to England's 'most talented' stars. With that in mind, GOAL assesses the eight players who are most under threat in the lead-up to the tournament…
Getty Images SportTrent Alexander-Arnold
Despite being inarguably one of the finest full-backs on the planet, Trent Alexander-Arnold has never been a guaranteed starter for his country – a luxury creative player from the back who is something of a tactical misfit, and that is a trend that has continued under Tuchel.
The Real Madrid man has seen just 26 minutes of action for England since the German's reign began in earnest, which came against minnows Andorra in June. He missed out on the March squad through injury and was overlooked for the late summer international window as Reece James and Tino Livramento were picked ahead of him. "He's a great player who will always be in contention," Tuchel said at the time. "I know he wanted to be here, which is very important. I just chose others due to competition."
However, another fitness issue meant Alexander-Arnold was unavailable for the latest set of internationals this month, limiting his opportunities to impress and with James, who played under Tuchel at Chelsea, now firmly ahead of him in the pecking order. If he can't battle back into the squad in November, it could be curtains for his World Cup chances.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportJude Bellingham
It seems unthinkable that Jude Bellingham wouldn't be central to England's plans in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year, should the Three Lions qualify as expected, but Tuchel's words and the shock decision to leave him out of the October camp have thrown his involvement into some question.
The midfield dynamo was not involved in September after finally undergoing surgery on a longstanding shoulder issue, but despite him returning to fitness, the Real Madrid superstar was left out again this month amid the manager's resolve to stick with the same group for the clashes with Wales and Latvia.
"Jude is a very special player, and for special players there can always be special rules," Tuchel said as he explained the controversial decision. "I get this. But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team. That applies also then for Jude, he deserves always to be in camp.
"I think there is an extra layer on top, the situation that he has not fully gathered rhythm yet at Real Madrid. He is back in the team. He hasn’t finished one full match until now, he has only started one match, so he is in the period where he gets his rhythm, where he gets back to full strength. But the decision stayed for this camp."
A generational talent, Bellingham will, of course, still expect to be on the plane, but the question now is: where does the buck stop with repeatedly calling up the same squad if results remain strong?
Getty/GOALJack Grealish
Jack Grealish must be wondering what more he has to do to earn his own recall to the England setup almost exactly a year on from his last cap, when he scored in a 3-1 victory over Finland. One of the most technically gifted English players of his generation, the winger remains in the international wilderness despite recapturing his best form on loan at Everton with five goal involvements in seven Premier League games so far.
Even though left wing is a problem position for the Three Lions, and Tuchel has even admitted the 30-year-old is "very close to be the best version of himself, a very special player, a very special character", he was again left out of the squad for the October international break.
The player took the snub with optimum grace, telling : "I do understand it. I spoke to the manager there, and I understand that there’s a lot of competition, especially in that left-wing spot at the moment. Rashy's (Marcus Rashford) flying, [Eberechi] Eze, Anthony Gordon, you know, everyone's doing so well. I can’t really complain, it is what it is."
Behind closed doors, though, Grealish will surely be growing frustrated. The next few weeks will be crucial for his chances.
AFPPhil Foden
Another player who Tuchel has praised despite leaving him out of his latest squad, Phil Foden has looked to be on the way back to something like the player who was absolutely unplayable for Manchester City two seasons ago, albeit he hasn't set the world alight.
Indeed, the midfielder hasn't done enough to earn a recall having not featured under Tuchel since his first two games in charge way back in March, falling victim to the German's divisive selection decisions in the summer after a disappointing campaign on an individual level, and an ankle injury back in September.
The manager acknowledges that Foden is "back to influencing games, deciding games for Manchester City", but there is a sense that he is probably still some way down the pecking order having failed to ever make a significant impact for his country, with the likes of Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze currently ahead of him, while others on this list are arguably more likely to force their way back into the former Bayern Munich head coach's plans.