Thomas Tuchel has suggested Manchester City’s England contingent are worried about the club being found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules. Tuchel, who said he would be prepared to keep picking City players if they were relegated, revealed the case had been a major topic of conversation in the England camp before the Nations League game against Croatia. The head coach said there had been discussions during meals and delivered an honest response after being asked whether the situation had become a distraction.
Let’s say it is a subject. If it’s a distraction, I don’t know. We speak about it at breakfast.
I know the Man City players get a lot of messages and phone calls and feedback about it. I think that would be a very human reaction if you don’t know what’s going on for the club that you signed. They’re told they are totally innocent and don’t know what’s going on.
I don’t see it when I see them in my meetings. I don’t see it how they behave with other teammates, and I don’t see it in training being a distraction. How can’t it be?” The Football Association blocked a subsequent question to Tuchel on whether the City case represented a danger to English football.
City maintain their innocence and on Friday announced an appeal against the verdict. For Tuchel, the focus is on his squad. He selected three City players for this camp: Elliot Anderson, Marc Guéhi and Nico O’Reilly, who has withdrawn injured.
Guéhi made a costly error during last weekend’s defeat by Spain and Anderson was off colour during the win over Czechia last Tuesday but Tuchel believes both are ready to start against Croatia on Saturday night. England are second in Group A3 with three points from two games. Jordan Pickford, who remains the No 1, will replace James Trafford in goal and Tuchel must decide whether to restore Jarell Quansah at right-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold shone against Czechia in Prague.
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