"There is always a possibility," Thomas Tuchel said, and he meant it in the broadest selection sense. The England manager said he would never rule someone out because they do not play in the top tier of their country, while also making clear that Manchester City's legal case is already a live topic in camp. An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, and the club have appealed the decision, saying it contained clear material errors of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.

England's current squad and the non-top-flight question

Tuchel said he will always try to choose the best team for the camp, the occasion and the tournament, and the current England squad makes the point neatly. All 24 members are competing in top-level championships right now, which is why his line about not ruling out lower-league players stands out rather than sounding routine.

He also gave a recent example of how flexible that view can be. James Trafford was called up in March and June 2025 while still in the Championship at Burnley, and Sam Johnstone was the last England player to be selected from the Championship, for West Brom in 2021. Kalvin Phillips, too, made his England debut before playing in the Premier League while representing Leeds.

The City case inside camp

Tuchel did not hide the fact that the City situation is getting discussed. He said the players have spoken about it briefly, that City players have spoken about it, and that he is glad not to be the voice on a subject where he has, in his words, half-knowledge.

The football side of the story is not hard to separate from the legal one. City are first in the Premier League with 15 points from 5 matches, have won their last 5 league matches, and have scored 13 goals while conceding 5. That is why the players remain central to England discussion even while the legal process runs on.

Tuchel's position is straightforward enough: top-flight status will not automatically block an England call-up, and the City case will keep hanging around the edges of camp until the appeal is dealt with. For now, the clearest fact is that he is still picking case by case, and the club's legal process is still unresolved.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →