Thomas Tuchel will name his first England XI on Friday night as the Three Lions line up against Albania in their 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Five months on from his official appointment, the German coach has had his first opportunity to work with the group at St George’s Park this week.
Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer are the heavyweight names missing through injury with Jack Grealish, Harry Maguire and Ollie Watkins among those left out.
Greater tests will come for the new Three Lions boss with home games against Albania and Moldova unlikely to be the sternest examination of his credentials.
But Friday will give us our first indication of how the 51-year-old will set about leading England to the USA next summer.
What formation will Thomas Tuchel use for England?
Tuchel has utilised a three at the back system during a career that has taken him to Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, most notably at Stamford Bridge.
In 55 of his 63 Premier League matches as Chelsea’s head coach, Tuchel deployed a back three with his 3-4-2-1 the foundation for their Champions League success in 2021.
It was a decision that was arguably made on existing personnel rather than the manager’s own philosophy, however. While he could choose to experiment with three at the back once again, Tuchel has most recently turned to a more traditional formation built on a back four, one he favoured at Bayern Munich before leaving the German giants last year. It was a similar case at Dortmund and PSG.
Marc Guehi established himself at the heart of England’s defence last summer at Euro 2024 and has been his country’s most reliable option at the back over the last 12 months. While Dan Burn will be hoping to immediately force his way into the team, Levi Colwill could get the nod having been a stable presence in Chelsea’s backline all season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury means we will have to wait until the summer to learn Tuchel’s plans for the Liverpool star, who’s midfield experiment did not go to plan last summer.
But it is over at left-back where the biggest dilemma lies. Lewis Hall’s case to make the position his own was derailed by a foot injury with club teammate Tino Livramento shifting over from the right to cover his absence for Newcastle.
The former Southampton full-back could be asked to do the same job on Friday but Tuchel also has the option of unleashing Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly if he chooses.
Jordan Henderson’s inclusion in the squad was one of the more surprising stories last week. The 34-year-old has not played for his country in a year with his last appearance coming shortly after his controversial move to Al Ettifaq.
With Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton and Conor Gallagher not included in the squad, there is a lack of conventional central midfielders to partner Declan Rice in the middle of the park although both Curtis Jones and Morgan Gibbs-White will feel they can fill the void.
Marcus Rashford is back in the fold with his improved form at Aston Villa convincing Tuchel to end his spell in international wilderness that also stretches back a year.
The new England boss also makes a swift reunion with Harry Kane after their season together at Bayern – one that yielded no trophies but 44 goals in 45 appearances for the striker.
Finding a long-term replacement for Kane is among the conundrums Tuchel will face further down the line but with respect to Albania and Moldova this month, it is a conversation for another day.
How England could line up under Thomas Tuchel for the first time
Pickford, Walker, Guehi, Colwill, Livramento, Rice, Henderson, Foden, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane
Where to watch England vs Albania? Kick-off time and TV channel
England vs Albania kicks off at 7:45pm on Friday 21 March.
Live coverage of the 2026 World Cup qualifier will be available on ITV1 and to stream on ITV X.
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