THOMAS TUCHEL AXES TWO PLAYERS FROM ENGLAND SQUAD TO FACE CZECHIA AS ONE PLAYER HANDED CHANCE TO IMPRESS

Thomas Tuchel is preparing to make changes to his England side for Tuesday night’s Nations League clash with Czechia after the Three Lions suffered a frustrating 3-2 defeat to Spain at Wembley.

 

England’s opening game of the 2026-27 Nations League campaign ended in disappointment despite Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane putting the hosts ahead after Lamine Yamal had opened the scoring.

 

A missed penalty from Kane and further defensive mistakes allowed Spain to turn the match around, with Alex Baena equalising before Mikel Oyarzabal scored the decisive goal.

 

Now, attention has immediately turned towards the Czechia clash in Prague, and Tuchel has been handed an unwanted selection headache after two players missed training ahead of the game.

 

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly has subsequently been ruled out of the match, while Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa has been dealing with a fitness issue but is expected to be available after travelling with the squad.

 

The situation means Tuchel will be forced into at least one change from the team that started against Spain.

 

And there could be another major change if the England boss decides to act on calls for Jarell Quansah to be dropped following his performance at Wembley.

 

O’Reilly’s situation is the clearest.

 

The Manchester City youngster started against Spain and actually played a major role in England’s second goal, providing the cross which eventually led to Kane’s header.

 

However, his evening also contained a costly moment.

 

O’Reilly gave the ball away in a dangerous area after coming under pressure from Spain, allowing substitute Alex Baena to take advantage and score the equaliser.

 

He was subsequently rated harshly by some sections of the media, with talkSPORT among those calling for changes after the defeat.

 

O’Reilly then missed England training on Monday because of a minor issue, alongside Konsa, leaving Tuchel uncertain about whether either player would be available.

 

By Tuesday morning, O’Reilly’s absence had been confirmed. He will not feature against Czechia.

 

That leaves Lewis Hall as one of the obvious candidates to replace him.

 

Hall was included in Tuchel’s squad after impressing for Newcastle and was specifically mentioned as a potential replacement as England dealt with the latest defensive concerns.

 

The second potential change could come at right-back.

 

Quansah started against Spain despite Trent Alexander-Arnold being available, with Tuchel explaining before the match that the Bayer Leverkusen defender’s pace and defensive qualities made him the preferred option.

 

But Quansah’s selection has come under scrutiny after the defeat.

 

TalkSPORT pundit Alex Crook has called for Alexander-Arnold to come into the side against Czechia, while also backing Hall and Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott to start.

 

That would mean Tuchel potentially making two significant changes to the team that started against Spain.

 

And then there is the player many England supporters have been waiting to see.

 

Alex Scott.

 

The Bournemouth midfielder has yet to make his senior England debut despite receiving plenty of praise for his performances at club level.

 

Tuchel himself has previously explained why Scott earned his place in the squad, highlighting his performances for Bournemouth and describing him as one of the outstanding midfielders in the Premier League since the beginning of the season.

 

That has only increased the pressure on Tuchel to finally give the 23-year-old his opportunity.

 

Scott was not used against Spain despite being named in the squad, and his omission from the matchday action surprised former Premier League striker Troy Deeney.

 

Deeney questioned what Scott needed to do to get onto the pitch, while Crook also argued that the Bournemouth star should start in Prague.

 

The argument is straightforward: England need to respond to the Spain defeat, and Scott has been one of the players generating significant excitement at club level.

 

Whether Tuchel agrees remains to be seen.

 

The England boss has already made it clear that he does not want to make wholesale changes simply for the sake of rotation.

 

Speaking before the Czechia match, Tuchel said he would ideally like to keep the same starting XI that faced Spain, although the fitness situations involving O’Reilly and Konsa meant that would not necessarily be possible.

 

“Ideally, I would love to put the same team out there,” Tuchel said. “But I need to speak to doctors, physios and the players to see what is responsible.”

 

That comment is particularly interesting given the criticism surrounding England’s defensive mistakes against Spain.

 

Tuchel has defended his players and insisted the problems were not necessarily evidence of a completely broken defensive structure.

 

Instead, he pointed towards individual mistakes.

 

The England manager also rejected the idea that the Czechia game should already be described as a must-win, although he admitted that his team will be preparing with the objective of winning.

 

“It is too early to speak for a must,” Tuchel said. “We always prepare for the win, we want the win.”

 

England’s defeat to Spain means they enter the Prague fixture without any points from their opening Nations League match, while Czechia also suffered defeat in their opener, losing 2-1 to Croatia.

 

That makes Tuesday night’s encounter particularly important for both teams.

 

There is also the added intrigue of the opposition.

 

Tuchel has warned his players that Czechia will provide a completely different challenge from Spain.

 

The England boss said Santi Denia’s side were organised against Croatia and highlighted their flexible midfield, movement and attacking wingers.

 

He expects a difficult atmosphere in Prague and knows England cannot afford another slow start.

 

Against Spain, England conceded inside the opening two minutes after Yamal capitalised on a mistake.

 

Tuchel admitted afterwards that it was “the worst start possible”, although he was encouraged by the response from his players.

 

England recovered to take a 2-1 lead into half-time, with Gordon scoring a superb equaliser before Kane put them ahead.

 

The problem was that England failed to take advantage of their opportunities after the break.

 

Kane’s penalty hit the crossbar, Spain equalised shortly afterwards and Oyarzabal eventually completed the comeback.

 

The performance has therefore left Tuchel with a delicate balancing act.

 

Does he trust the players who started against Spain and give them another opportunity to respond?

 

Or does he make changes after costly individual errors?

 

So far, the evidence suggests Tuchel is leaning towards continuity rather than a complete overhaul.

 

But O’Reilly’s injury means one change is unavoidable.

 

The bigger question is whether Alexander-Arnold and Scott will also get their opportunity.

 

Alexander-Arnold’s return to the England squad was one of the major talking points before the international break after he was left out of the World Cup squad.

 

Yet despite being recalled, he remained on the bench against Spain.

 

A start in Prague would therefore give the Real Madrid defender an immediate opportunity to demonstrate why Tuchel brought him back into the international setup.

 

Scott’s situation is even more intriguing.

 

The Bournemouth midfielder was selected after an excellent run of form, with Tuchel specifically praising his performances.

 

Yet he is still waiting for his first senior cap.

 

England’s official player profile lists Scott as having zero senior caps and zero senior goals, meaning a substitute appearance or start against Czechia would represent a major personal milestone.

 

And that is exactly why his potential involvement has generated so much discussion.

 

England supporters have seen Tuchel select Scott.

 

They have heard Tuchel praise Scott.

 

Now they want to see what he can actually do in an England shirt.

 

The Czechia match could finally provide that opportunity.

 

There is also the possibility that Tuchel changes his midfield setup after Declan Rice’s withdrawal from the squad.

 

Rice was one of five players who pulled out before the international break, alongside Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento. Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner were subsequently called up.

 

With Rice unavailable, Elliot Anderson has become an important part of Tuchel’s midfield options, while Scott, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Garner are competing for further opportunities.

 

The manager therefore has several choices without needing to completely abandon the structure that England used against Spain.

 

One thing is certain: the defeat at Wembley has created pressure.

 

England played well in spells against the world champions but ultimately left the pitch with nothing.

 

Now they travel to Prague knowing that another defeat would leave them with a difficult start to the Nations League campaign.

 

Tuchel has insisted the match is not yet a “must-win”, but the England manager will know that another disappointing result would inevitably increase scrutiny.

 

And with O’Reilly unavailable, Alexander-Arnold pushing for a return, Hall potentially replacing the injured Manchester City youngster and Scott waiting for his long-awaited debut, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the England XI.

 

The headline may be about Tuchel “axing” players, but the reality is more complicated.

 

One change has been forced by injury.

 

Another could be tactical.

 

And one potential change could finally give one of England’s most talked-about midfielders his chance to impress.

 

All eyes will now be on Tuchel when England face Czechia in Prague.

 

Because after the Spain defeat, the England boss has decisions to make — and this time, every selection will be under the microscope.