James Trafford has been told he will start for England against Spain on Sunday, a decision that casts significant doubt over Jordan Pickford's status as the team's first-choice goalkeeper. England boss Thomas Tuchel also confirmed that fit-again Ezri Konsa will return directly to the starting line-up against the world champions at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The Nations League clash is a winner-takes-all showdown, making Tuchel's choice to favour Trafford over his established first-choice keeper a surprise. The decision raises questions about Pickford's long-term future with the national team.
Tuchel explains the goalkeeping decision
Tuchel explained his reasoning: "We want to try and see how far Traff is. That hasn't changed. So he gets a highly competitive match. We had some changes in the back four in the last match, so we went for more stability and more experience with Pickers. And Traff gets the match tomorrow."
He added: "It's only a football match, so hopefully he's not too over-excited or overly nervous, because there's no need to. We trust him. But it is different to play for England than to play for your club. And to have the opportunity to play matches where it really matters is the best way of course to show up, and to show that you're ready, and for us also to see where he is."
Despite handing Trafford the start, Tuchel was clear about Pickford's position: "We know what Jordan can do for us. Jordan is at the moment our No1. I have a very clear picture in high-pressure moments. He played in tournaments and played for me in the World Cup. It's a good goalkeeping group that we built there and they're pushing themselves."
Konsa returns to steady the defence
England will make changes in defence in an attempt to defeat Spain and end their 43-game unbeaten record, with Konsa coming back to steady the ship. Tuchel described Konsa's performances this season as "amazing" and confirmed he is set to return after a knee issue ruled him out of the win over Croatia.
"I saw him when he played his first match for Arsenal after William Saliba's injury. It just looked like he's always been there. It was seamless," Tuchel said. "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."
"He did very well and we gave him the chance to take care of his little niggle. He took it seriously and he showed that we can trust him. He showed up yesterday for individual work, he showed up today for training and he's ready to play."
A final to make the seemingly impossible possible
Tuchel acknowledged the scale of the task against Spain. "I think it's in itself a big match, Spain against England. I think Spain, since years, on an incredible run. They seem impossible to beat. I think we are in a very good moment. And in the best moment also to try and make the seemingly-impossible possible."
He continued: "Because we are here to win. We wanted this match desperately. We thought we were very close to beating them in the first match with a good performance. It's an achievement in itself that we already have 12 points. I think it was a tricky group, when we saw the draw. So we have 12, and have a final. It's exactly what we want. And I think it's two powerful teams, two teams in a very good place at the moment. Two teams who like to dominate the ball and create chances. We feel in a good place. It's the moment to show up and try to win."
