Tuchel shared his reaction to the selection, stating, I saw the excitement straight away in his smile.
Tuchel Explains the Decision on Cole Palmer
Palmer has only won five caps since scoring in the 2024 European Championship final and was left out of last summer’s World Cup squad. The manager noted that he has “enough” No 10s and is prioritizing the players who contributed to the atmosphere during the previous two-and-a-half-week camp.
For the final time in 2026… 🥁 Your #ThreeLions squad for November camp! 🦁 🏴
It counts when you are in camp and I just said it last time, he misses too many opportunities to impress. It was a long camp. It was two-and-a-half weeks and the players and the boys who were in camp built something extraordinary throughout these weeks. That’s why the credit goes to them. The trust is for them. If you are in camp, this is your chance to impress. So it’s not personal.
Thomas Tuchel, England head coach
Tuchel explained that O’Reilly was sidelined to manage an injury, while Mainoo was overlooked. Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Tino Livramento, and Alex Scott missed out due to injuries.
New Faces and Returning Names for November Fixtures
Tuchel credited England under-21 manager Lee Carsley for consistently advocating for Jobe Bellingham’s promotion, noting that the Dortmund player is on a good run of form. Tuchel added that while he has 21 outfield players for the first match, he expects to have 22 for the second.
🚨🗣️ Thomas Tuchel explains why Cole Palmer is still not being called up be England: "I guess everyone is desperate to play for England and Cole is no exception. We are speaking now about a player that is not in camp. It counts when you are in camp and I just said last time… pic.twitter.com/VX6zJzc99V
Lee Carsley has been talking highly about Jobe for weeks and months that he deserves [a chance], if there is a spot to make an impression in the first team. He has had good matches now and he is on a good run of form with Dortmund, so he deserves to be with us.
Thomas Tuchel, England head coach
Spence returns following his €35m summer transfer from Tottenham to Inter, marking his first call-up since the 2026 World Cup, where he helped his nation to the semi-final and an eventual third-place finish. Tuchel mentioned that Spence is part of a defensive group that includes Jarell Quansah and Ben White. Dean Henderson returns to the squad following his recovery from injury.
Tuchel Names Morgan Rogers Right-Wing Favorite
Regarding the right-wing position, Tuchel indicated that with Bukayo Saka out and Noni Madueke not selected, he views Morgan Rogers as the first choice, with support from Rio Ngumoha, while noting that Josh King and Morgan Gibbs-White could also fill that role. England currently sits third in Group A3 after four games, having won three and lost one against Spain.
Complete England Squad
The full 25-man selection for the upcoming international window includes:
Thomas Tuchel is set to speak to the media following today's squad announcement 💬 Watch it live on the England app ▶️
- Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion), James Trafford (Leeds United)
- Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Ben White (Arsenal)
- Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Josh King (Fulham), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea)
More on Cole Palmer
From our #YoungLions to the #ThreeLions, Jobe Bellingham 👏 Congratulations on your very first senior international call-up! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FmNrr0jiFo
🚨🏴 OFFICIAL: Cole Palmer, left out of the England squad. Thomas Tuchel decision has been made. Full squad. ⤵️ Goalkeepers: Pickford, Steele, Trafford. Defenders: Branthwaite, Guéhi, Hall, Konsa, Quansah, Spence, Trent, White. Midfielders: Anderson, Bellingham, Eze, Garner,… pic.twitter.com/tVxx8XlTba
BREAKING: Thomas Tuchel has named his England squad for the upcoming Nations League games, with Jobe Bellingham and Josh King being called up, and Cole Palmer missing out. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/vVPnYyVipY
England Nations League squad CONFIRMED: Jobe Bellingham gets first call-up as Cole Palmer is DENIED ❌ pic.twitter.com/hlV1dSJ85B