New England manager Thomas Tuchel looks set to face some tricky club-versus-country rows over players, despite not officially starting in his role until January.
The German has penned an 18-month contract with the Three Lions with hopes of guiding the nation to World Cup glory.
Tuchel’s appointment has been met with a mixed response, though the former Chelsea boss could silence those questioning why the Football Association (FA) did not appoint an Englishman by bringing a trophy home in 2026.
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Tuchel begins as England boss on January 1, though the ex-Bayern Munich manager could be forced to have some tough talks with a series of players before that date. According to The Telegraph, the FA are in talks for the Three Lions to play two end-of-season friendlies next summer in the United States.
Discussions have taken place for a friendly against the US, now managed by ex-Chelsea and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. Mexico and Canada are the two other nations being considered for the second friendly.
Although Tuchel will be pleased to spend time working with his squad for a longer period, the news of two friendlies being played on the other side of the world is unlikely to be met with a positive reaction from up to nine players.
After another gruelling campaign, The proposed games would take place shortly before the Club World Cup, which Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are set to play in.
Therefore, there could be some resistance from those participating in the competition about flying to the States to play in two friendly matches when they would be hoping to enjoy some downtime ahead of the first trophy of the 2025/26 campaign.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, John Stones, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher are the nine stars who will see their schedules impacted further.
With the Premier League campaign concluding on May 25 and the friendlies scheduled to be played between June 15 and July 13, there is a high risk of the aforementioned players not truly enjoying any time away from the pitch at a time when conversations about the demanding fixture schedule are already rife within the sport.
It’s a problem that Tuchel is likely to be tasked with navigating, and one where he will certainly see both sides to the argument in what is his first stint as an international manager.
