Noni Madueke was not selected for England's upcoming Nations League fixtures. The Arsenal player missed out even though he has scored recently for his club and was part of the World Cup squad. The squad is preparing for a home match against Croatia on Thursday 12 November, a side they thrashed 7-0 away on Saturday 3 October.
Tuchel stated the choice was very narrow, noting Madueke's greater involvement following an injury to a teammate. "It was a close call and a difficult decision not to bring Noni, because he got his minutes after Bukayo’s injury at Arsenal," Tuchel said.
Madueke, who netted for England in a match earlier this year, has now been absent from the last two squad announcements. Several other Arsenal players were included.
Tuchel also spoke about Ben White's selection, after the defender received negative reactions from supporters during recent Wembley friendlies. White was injured for the last gathering. "We were not happy about this," Tuchel commented regarding the fans' behavior.
England will play Croatia at home before an away match against Spain. The team currently occupies second position in its group and can progress by not losing to Croatia. Their next opponents, Croatia, are also second in the overall table.
The team has won its previous three games. One of those victories was a large away win against Croatia. Jude Bellingham contributed significantly to that result, scoring one and assisting three in the 7-0 rout. England's recent form shows three wins and one defeat from their last four matches, a sequence that began with a 2-3 home loss to Spain on Saturday 26 September.
Following a defeat to Spain, England has recorded wins against another nation and Croatia. The team's top scorer this season is Jude Bellingham with seven goals.
The players will meet soon to train for two important upcoming matches.
This story first appeared at London Evening Standard
