"The train is rolling" — and Thomas Tuchel isn't holding it for Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, or anyone else who pulled out of this Nations League window.
England's manager has been as direct as he's been about anything since taking the job. Players who committed to this four-game camp get his loyalty. Those who didn't face a battle to get back in. Palmer, who hasn't played for England since a friendly against Japan in March, has already been called out by Tuchel for missing "way too many opportunities." That indictment just got a fresh timestamp.
When asked whether the absentees face a fight to reclaim their spots, Tuchel didn't dress it up: "Everyone should be eager to come, desperate to come because the train is rolling. Full credit to the players who bought into that."
England don't look like they're missing anyone
That's the part that should genuinely concern Palmer and Rashford. This isn't a squad treading water without its stars — England battered Croatia 7-0, beat Czech Republic twice, and are on the verge of securing a Nations League knockout stage spot. Tuchel was asked directly whether Palmer and Phil Foden would even fit into the style England have developed. His answer: "I don't know, is the honest answer. They are not here."
That's not diplomatic. That's a manager who's stopped building his system around players who aren't showing up.
Jude Bellingham has shifted into a more advanced role alongside Harry Kane, effectively forming a front four with the wide players. Alex Scott — on debut — was described by Tuchel as operating on a "completely new level." Elliot Anderson impressed against Croatia. Lewis Hall gave the left side balance it previously lacked. The squad is developing an identity, and it's happening without its most decorated names.
What the absentees are actually risking
Palmer has 14 caps and two goals, including one in the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain. Rashford has 19 goals in 78 appearances and was part of Tuchel's World Cup setup, but Anthony Gordon has taken his left flank spot and run with it. Kobbie Mainoo was unused at the World Cup and has now watched Alex Scott come in and immediately impress in the role he'd be competing for.
The window to re-enter isn't closed — Croatia and Spain away are next on the schedule, and the Nations League quarter-final draw follows on November 20. But the odds of walking straight back into Tuchel's starting eleven are shortening by the week. England's attacking output this camp makes it harder to argue for change, not easier.
Tuchel summed it up without sentimentality: "It's always about the guys who are here."
