Thomas Tuchel warns Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden as England stars at risk

Thomas Tuchel has warned that England players will face stiff competition for places in next summer's World Cup squad. The manager has dismissed any concerns about having to exclude big names such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Cole Palmer, stating his focus is solely on the players who recently scored five against Serbia and three against Wales.

Tuchel acknowledged that it will be a challenging journey back for these players, especially as Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson have taken full advantage of their opportunities. When questioned about what he hoped the high-profile players who were not selected would think of England's victory over Wales, Tuchel responded: "At the moment, it is only about the players who are in camp.

"And this is also where our focus goes. The door is always open for anyone to jump in. The competition is on."

This statement was seen as a challenge to Bellingham and his colleagues. However, Tuchel lightened the mood when asked if he could envision all the star players being benched at the World Cup.

Tuchel retorted: "You think too much. You imagine too much. Maybe they all have the flu!

"I know where you are going with that. But can we acknowledge that Morgan did amazing, the team did amazing and he buys into that.

"He is a humble player. He is a physical player. And he is a very talented player, of course. And in a good way. We need more than just 11 at the moment. This was a starting XI."

Tuchel also gave a revealing response to whether he could ever consider leaving out Bellingham, Palmer and Foden at a World Cup.

"I am sorry but I don't follow that mindset," Tuchel stated. "I am a football coach to coach the team that I nominate. And that is where my focus is.

"But with all of this, I would say let's cross the river when we are at the river. It does not help anyone if we think in bubbles about what can happen and about what cannot happen.

"I am still absolutely convinced the guys who were in Serbia and against Andorra last camp deserve to be in this camp and this is where the focus has to be and they deserve the respect and they put out another great performance against Wales.

"We had four changes from the match in Serbia. We were forced to do four changes but it was seamless and everyone who started played with the same energy.

"Listen, we only had one-and-half days to prepare so I am happy with the camp until here. Happy that we can prove another point. Next camp is the next nomination."