England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will personally reach out to every player excluded from his most recent national team squad—explaining why they were left out and outlining the steps required to secure a place at next summer’s 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

High-profile names such as Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold were omitted from England’s squad for their final qualifiers against Serbia and Albania this month. While England went on to complete a perfect qualification campaign—eight wins from eight and zero goals conceded—Tuchel insists communication with overlooked players is now a critical part of his role.

Tuchel: “It’s my job to make contact with everyone”

Speaking after England’s 2–0 win over Albania in Tirana, the German coach emphasised the importance of maintaining honest dialogue with all players on his long-list of potential World Cup candidates.

“First of all, it’s my job now to make contact with everyone,” Tuchel said.
“Players like Trent, players that are on our long list—55, 60 players. To reach out to them, be in touch with them, explain to them why they were not here. Explain what they have to do, where they can improve.”

Tuchel added that in some cases, omissions are not about form or performance, but simply tactical or positional choices.

“Can they even do something, or is it just a choice? This is my job in the next weeks and months.”

With one more international camp scheduled for the March break, Tuchel will finalise his World Cup selections shortly after.

Quansah Gets His Chance as Alexander-Arnold Misses Out

With Trent Alexander-Arnold absent, Bayer Leverkusen’s rising star Jarell Quansah earned his England debut at right-back. Tuchel said the 21-year-old’s performances in the Bundesliga made him a standout option.

“I see his talent, but I see the whole package,” Tuchel explained.
“He is tall, fast, strong in build-up and strong in the air. He plays every minute for Leverkusen since the Under-21 Euros, so he is at the moment a tiny bit ahead.”

That comment suggests Alexander-Arnold—who last featured for England in June—is not out of contention, but may need consistent club form to regain his spot before the World Cup.

Experienced Stars Also on the Fringe

Several seasoned internationals, such as Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Kyle Walker, also find themselves battling for their place. Younger talents like Morgan Gibbs-White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were not selected for this window either.

Tuchel also opted against recalling veteran forward Danny Welbeck, despite the Brighton striker scoring six goals in 11 Premier League games this season.

Tuchel Prefers FaceTime Over Phone Calls

In a lighter moment, Tuchel admitted he dislikes traditional phone calls—but values face-to-face communication.

“Yeah, I’m going to make a lot of phone calls. And I hate phone calls,” he said with a smile.
“Better on FaceTime—then I see the expression, at least. Or I need to visit them. Visit training, training grounds. We can do group visits—Jude [Bellingham] and Trent, for example.”

Despite the perfect qualifying record, Tuchel stressed the importance of giving every player—selected or not—honest feedback as he prepares for England’s most important tournament in years.

“I think it’s important that I reach out to everyone, even to guys we didn’t pick so regularly, to tell them where they are.”

With competition fierce and the World Cup just months away, Tuchel’s proactive approach could be crucial in shaping England’s final 26-man squad.