Tuchel names England squad for Spain with Palmer and Alexander-Arnold recalled
Thomas Tuchel has announced his first England squad since the World Cup, recalling Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Nations League match against Spain.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Thomas Tuchel has named his first England squad since the World Cup, recalling Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Nations League meeting with Spain at Wembley. Both players were left out of the summer tournament, a decision that drew criticism, but Tuchel insisted he had no regrets about his World Cup selections.
Speaking to the media for the first time since England's semi-final defeat to Argentina, Tuchel defended his choices and said most fans were supportive. "99.9% of the fans don't speak about substitutions, tactical twists, and tactical things," he said. He also acknowledged the scars of that defeat but stressed the need to move forward.
The squad includes recalls for Myles Lewis-Skelly alongside Palmer and Alexander-Arnold, while Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Nonso Madueke are left out. Phil Foden and Harry Maguire remain absent, despite being notable omissions from the World Cup party.
Tuchel also backed the Football Association's stance on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, but said his focus was on football. England's first match since the World Cup is against the world champions, Spain, and Tuchel believes the team can win the Nations League and build towards the home European Championship. He has two years left on his contract.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Tuchel recalled Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold into the England squad for the Spain match. | ||
| Tuchel said he had no regrets about his World Cup squad selection despite the semi-final defeat. | ||
| Phil Foden and Harry Maguire were left out of the England squad. | · | |
| Tuchel supported the FA's decision to withdraw support from Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the squad selections, highlighting the return of Alexander-Arnold and Palmer as the biggest surprises, and noted the continued absence of Foden and Maguire. It also gave prominence to Tuchel's comments that 99.9% of fans were supportive and his lack of regret over World Cup choices.
- “Perhaps the biggest surprise is the recall for defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.”
- “I had a lot of sleepless nights, but I had not one sleepless night about our selection.”
- “It's exactly two months now since England finished their World Cup campaign.”
ITV News provided a more in-depth report, including an interview with Tuchel where he was directly asked if the recalls were an admission of error. The coverage also touched on Tuchel's support for the FA's stance on Gianni Infantino and his ambitions to win the Nations League and the home Euros. The tone was more questioning and future-focused.
- “No, I was very happy with the squad selection.”
- “It's not much sense in torturing ourselves looking back.”
- “The target is to finish the cycle of the Nations League, try to win it, go to the Final Four and try to win it and build on what we have.”
Broadcast Timeline
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