England manager Thomas Tuchel says he would continue to consider Manchester City players for international selection even if the club were relegated from the Premier League.
Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules covering nine seasons, from 2009-10 to 2017-18. The club were also found guilty on three of four charges relating to a failure to co-operate with investigations.
City, who have denied all allegations throughout the investigation, formally appealed against the ruling last Friday. The club are facing potential sanctions that could include a points deduction or relegation.
The verdict has become a major topic of discussion within the England camp before Saturday’s Nations League match against Croatia. England’s squad includes Manchester City players Elliott Anderson and Marc Guehi, while left-back Nico O’Reilly has left the camp to return to his club because of injury.
Asked whether the players had been discussing the case, Tuchel said on Friday, according to Reuters: “I think so. We had some time between the matches and it is an important topic. Everybody is talking about it, so there is no need for another opinion. I am happy that I am not that opinion because nobody needs my limited information on this subject.”
The German added: “Of course the players talk about it. The City players talk about it and we talk to them, but only briefly. They are ready for the match tomorrow. But of course, it is an important topic within the team.”
Tuchel was also asked whether he would continue selecting City players if the club were relegated from the Premier League.
“There is always a possibility,” he said. “I will always try to select the best squad for the camp, the occasion and the tournament. I would never rule it out simply because they do not play in the top division in their country. We have to assess every case individually.”
England are second in Group Three with three points from two matches. They began with an eventful 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley before responding with a convincing 2-0 victory over Czech Republic last Tuesday.
Their meeting with Croatia will take place in the coastal city of Rijeka behind closed doors, with no supporters allowed to attend. Croatia were punished after crowd trouble involving their fans during a Nations League quarter-final against France in March 2025.
Tuchel also provided an update on England’s fitness levels, saying the three-day gap between matches had made a significant difference.
“It enabled us to look after high-performing players such as Anderson and Gordon,” he said.
The manager confirmed that every player took part in training on Friday except O’Reilly, who left camp to receive treatment and return to his club as quickly as possible.
“The pain was severe and he could not take part in the match,” Tuchel said. “All the other players started and completed training today at a high level.”