Thomas Tuchel will not help pick England team in Lee Carsley’s final games

Interim manager will oversee Nations League games against Greece and Ireland before the German takes over

Thomas Tuchel has no intention of having any say on the squad or the teams Lee Carsley picks for his final games as England interim manager against Greece and Ireland.
And Tuchel’s January 1 start date means he is not scheduled to attend next month’s qualifying draw for the 2026 World Cup that he has been tasked with winning for England.
England’s World Cup qualifying could be affected by this month’s Nations League games against Greece and Ireland, but Tuchel and the FA are sticking rigidly to his official start date which means he will have no influence on their outcome and is not expected to be in the stands for either of them.
The Football Association last month appointed Tuchel as the successor to Gareth Southgate, but confirmed that his 18-month contract would not start until the New Year.
It is understood that Tuchel has no intention of offering any advice to Carsley or the FA on squad or team matters before he officially starts work on January 1 and there is no plan for him to be in attendance when England find out their World Cup qualifying opponents at the draw in Zurich on December 13.
The FA have stuck by their decision to give Carsley the Nations League campaign as interim manager, even though it could extend into the start of Tuchel’s reign.
Tuchel is expected to watch the Greece and Ireland games at home, rather than be in the stands, despite the fact England could face a Nations League play-off in March that the German would take charge of if they fail to beat Greece in Athens this month.
That could delay the start of World Cup qualifying for Tuchel, whose remit is simply to try to win the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Having lost to Greece at Wembley, England realistically need to win in Athens on November 14 to stand any chance of finishing top of Nations League B group two. If they finish second, they will play a promotion play-off against a third-placed League A side in March.
Carsley has some fitness issues surrounding John Stones, Kobbie Mainoo and Jack Grealish, who have all missed games through injury since the last England games, before naming his squad for the Greece and Ireland games.
Reece James has returned to the Chelsea team and started the club’s last three Premier League games, playing as a left-back against Newcastle United and Manchester United.
That could be an intriguing prospect to Carsley, who is short of left-back options, but it is not clear whether or not James will be considered for selection so soon after his return from injury.
Lewis Hall has also performed well recently for Newcastle United and could be another left-back option.
The anticipated absence of Grealish, who has two goals in three games under Carsley, may free up an attacking position for either Jarrod Bowen to win an England recall or Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers to be rewarded with a first senior call-up.