Thomas Tuchel has revealed that James Trafford will face world champions Spain on Sunday night, raising questions over Jordan Pickford’s status as England’s No 1.
It was assumed that Pickford, who the head coach maintains is his first choice, would keep the jersey given the identity of the opposition and the chance for England to top their Nations League group with victory here in Madrid.
However, Tuchel will hand Leeds stopper Trafford his fifth cap at the Metropolitano Stadium.
’We want to try and see how far Traff is,’ said Tuchel, who rotated his keepers during last month’s international break. ‘So he gets a highly competitive match. We had some changes in the back four in the last match (2-1 win over Croatia on Thursday), so we went for more stability and more experience with Pickers.
‘Tomorrow is a high-pressure match, on the biggest stage, and it’s exactly what we need to see where we are with him (Trafford). Hopefully he’s not too over-excited or overly nervous, because there’s no need to be. We trust him. But it is different to play for England than to play for your club.
‘To have the opportunity to play matches where it really matters is the best way to show up, and to show that you’re ready.’
It was put to Tuchel that it would make more sense to play the goalkeeper he believes is his No 1 in the biggest game from this round of fixtures.
’It was the circumstances of the last match, that we had some changes in the back four, and that was the decision in the goalkeeping team,’ he said. ‘Jordan is at the moment our No.1. I have a very clear picture in high-pressure moments. He played in tournaments and played for me in the World Cup.’
Meanwhile, centre back Ezri Konsa is also set to start after recovering from a knee issue.
‘I’m very pleased with how he has fitted in seamlessly at Arsenal,’ said Tuchel. ‘It just looks like he’s always been there. For us, it’s amazing that he plays on the highest level, competes for every title, is in an atmosphere and in a situation where it really matters that you stay focused and you show up every three days. It’s only positives for us.’
PROBABLE ENGLAND XI: Trafford; White, Quansah, Konsa, Hall; Anderson, Rice; Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
