Thomas Tuchel refuses to rule out players outside top-flight football
What's the story
England manager Thomas Tuchel has said he would "never rule out" the possibility of selecting a player from outside the top flight for his national team. This statement comes in light of Manchester City's recent financial breaches verdict. An independent commission found City guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The club has appealed against this ruling, denying any wrongdoing.
Possible consequences
Tuchel open to selecting players from outside top flight
The sanctions for Manchester City are yet to be determined, but they could face expulsion from the league, points deductions, or fines.
Despite the verdict, Tuchel remains open-minded about his selection process.
He said he would always try to pick the best team for each occasion and tournament, without ruling out players not in their country's top flight.
"I would always try to pick the best team for the camp, for the occasion, for the tournament. I will never rule out that because they don't play in the top flight in their country. We need to look at it case by case," he told reporters.
Squad composition
City's verdict a 'big subject' in England camp
The current England squad features Manchester City players Elliot Anderson and Marc Guehi, while Nico O'Reilly was part of the group until an injury forced his exit.
Tuchel acknowledged that City's verdict is a "big subject" in the England camp ahead of their UEFA Nations League match against Croatia on Saturday.
He added that all 24 players in the current squad play in top leagues for their clubs, making it rare for a player not in a top division to represent the Three Lions.
Past instances
Last player to represent England from Championship was Sam Johnstone
Notably, James Trafford was part of Tuchel's squads in March and June 2025 while still playing in the Championship with Burnley.
However, he remained an unused substitute on both occasions and didn't earn a full cap until returning to Manchester City.
The last player to represent England while playing in the Championship was goalkeeper Sam Johnstone for West Brom in 2021.