Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer are back in the England squad. Thomas Tuchel wants everyone to understand that getting picked is the easy part.
Both were left out of the squad for the World Cup in North America, a call that caused plenty of noise at the time. Both return for four Nations League fixtures that follow this weekend's club games.
The door is always open, but you have to perform
"They had a good start to the season," Tuchel said. "They never did something wrong. We just chose different players. So now it is a new competition."
On Palmer, 24, who last played for England in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Japan in March: "Cole has his starts that he always had but he has his numbers back. He has his assists back, he has decisive goals back. That is why he is in the squad. I think he has a point to prove, and the same goes for Trent."
Alexander-Arnold, 27, has not won a cap since coming on in a 1-0 win over Andorra in June 2025. He has played five times for Real Madrid this season, including a spell in midfield against Inter Milan, but Tuchel was clear about where he fits.
"He comes as a right-back for us," the head coach said. "It is a competition and I understand the question because he was not with us at the World Cup. We trusted other players. I still stick with this decision and it is now time to fight for his place."
Tuchel later put it more bluntly on BBC Radio 5 Live. "If you come to camp it is not an international break, it's an international window."
Who is in and who misses out
Dominic Calvert-Lewin earns a place after three top-flight goals that have carried Leeds United up to third. Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha are included again. Lewis Hall, Jarrad Branthwaite, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele also make the cut.
Phil Foden is out once more. So are Morgan Gibbs-White, Adam Wharton and Harry Maguire. Dean Henderson, Jordan Henderson, Reece James, Djed Spence and John Stones all drop out through injury.
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Steele, Trafford
Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Branthwaite, Chalobah, Guehi, Hall, Konsa, Livramento, O'Reilly, Quansah
Midfielders: Anderson, Bellingham, Lewis-Skelly, Mainoo, Palmer, Rice, Scott
Forwards: Calvert-Lewin, Eze, Gordon, Kane, Ngumoha, Rashford, Rogers, Saka
Embracing the chaos after a semi-final that got away
These are England's first games since the World Cup, where they led Argentina in the semi-final before conceding twice late. They then beat France 6-4 in the third-place match after leading 4-0 at half-time, which is the sort of scoreline that makes a coach wince and a supporter grin.
Tuchel seems to have made peace with it. "Football without any control is sometimes hard to digest for a coach if you look at the 6-4 against France, but people talk about it like it's one of their nicest experiences ever. Maybe I have to compromise in my wish and urge for control, for a little bit more chaos, embrace the chaos."
England host World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday 26 September, then travel to the Czech Republic on 29 September and Croatia on 3 October before hosting the Czechs on 6 October.
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