Thomas Tuchel Faces the Challenge of Fine-Tuning England’s Squad Ahead of Crucial Matches Against Andorra and Serbia

Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, will name his first squad of the season on Friday, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. The announcement will take place at the Hilton hotel, a temporary venue due to the scheduling conflict with Coldplay’s tour dates at Wembley. Tuchel, a self-proclaimed music fan, is not expected to be deterred by the change of location.

The upcoming matches will be a crucial test for Tuchel’s squad, which has been criticized for its lackluster performance in the friendly defeat against Senegal in June. Despite a promising final 25 minutes, the team’s overall performance was marred by boos from the fans. Tuchel’s team selection for the qualifiers is likely to focus on fine-tuning the squad, rather than introducing new players.

The autumn programme, which includes friendlies against Wales and Latvia, is expected to provide Tuchel with more opportunities to build the rhythms he craves. However, some have questioned why the Football Association did not bring in Tuchel earlier, given the team’s struggles under interim manager Lee Carsley. Tuchel has been working hard to stay in touch with the players and has attended several Premier League matches this season.

Tuchel’s side has been plagued by injuries, with several key players missing out on the recent friendlies. Levi Colwill, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham are currently injured, while Ben White and Cole Palmer are major doubts. Phil Foden’s role in the team remains a subject of fascination, and his return as a late substitute for Manchester City against Tottenham last Saturday has raised questions about his potential starting spot.

At the back, Tuchel will be able to select John Stones for the first time after the City centre-half missed the closing months of last season through injury. Marc Guéhi is also available after sitting out the June fixtures with an eye problem. Harry Maguire’s ship seems to have sailed, and what about Kyle Walker, now at Burnley, who endured such a torrid game against Senegal? The team’s defense will need to be solid to withstand the pressure of the away match against Serbia in Belgrade.

The match against Serbia will be a particularly challenging one, given the team’s poor performance in the last meeting between the two sides. England has not played in Serbia at senior level since 1987, when Sir Bobby Robson’s team secured their place at the European Championship finals with a 4-1 win. The goals from Peter Beardsley, John Barnes, Bryan Robson, and Tony Adams came inside the opening 25 minutes, and the Rajko Mitic Stadium, then known as the Stadion Crvena Zvezda and still commonly as Marakana, was stunned.

Tuchel must also consider the form of some of his players, including Marcus Rashford, who missed the June internationals due to injury and is making his way at Barcelona. On the face of it, the forward has not done much in his two La Liga appearances and was substituted at half-time against Levante last Saturday with his team 2-0 down. However, that was more because Hansi Flick tried a new attacking formation that did not work. Tuchel selected Rashford in March, and he believes in him.

The real business is afoot, and Tuchel will be under pressure to deliver a positive result. With only four camps left before the World Cup next summer, the team’s performance in these qualifiers will be crucial in determining their chances of success.