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-England manager Thomas Tuchel says he will be contacting players who have been left out of the squad in recent matches to help them plot a path back into contention before next year’s World Cup.
Several players, including Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Everton’s Jack Grealish, were dropped for this month’s qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, while Jude Bellingham was not included for October’s matches against Wales and Latvia.
England beat Serbia 2-0 at home and then claimed a 2-0 win in Albania on Sunday to finish top of Group K in the World Cup qualifiers with eight wins in as many games, while also not conceding a single goal.
“First of all, it’s my job now to make contact with everyone, players like Trent,” Tuchel told reporters after the win over Albania.
“Players that are on our long list, 55, 60 players, to reach out to them, be in touch with them, explain to them why they were not here.
“Explain to them what they have to do, where they can improve. Can they even do something or is it just a choice. So this is my job for the next weeks and months.”
Tuchel added he is open to visiting club training grounds to meet with players in group sessions, saying he prefers having face-to-face conversations to gauge their responses.
“We can do group visits. We can do Jude and Trent. And visit the clubs. And some of them we will call,” the 52-year-old said.
England will have another camp with the players during the international break in March before the German manager names his squad for the World Cup, to be held from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
(Reporting Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
