England manager Thomas Tuchel has issued a stark warning to his players ahead of their final World Cup qualifier against Albania, telling them to avoid a red card at all costs, even if it means allowing a goal.
World Cup Suspension Risks
The unusual directive comes as a direct response to the recent incident involving Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal captain was sent off against the Republic of Ireland for an elbow on defender Dara O'Shea. If his ban is extended to three matches for violent conduct, he will miss the first two group games at next summer's World Cup in North America.
Tuchel is determined to prevent a similar situation for his own squad, who have already secured their qualification for the tournament. He referenced the precedent set by Wayne Rooney, who was suspended for England's first two matches at Euro 2012 after a red card in a final qualifier.
Tuchel's Pragmatic Team Talk
With the crucial match in Tirana on Sunday, the head coach confirmed he will address the issue directly with the team. "It is important, I'm aware of it and we will talk about it - no red cards please!" Tuchel stated.
He elaborated on his pragmatic approach, advising players in a 'last man' defensive scenario to err on the side of caution. "If there's a doubt, then it would be smarter not to do it," he explained, emphasising that while he doesn't want to create anxiety, the choice to avoid a sending-off is clear.
Spence Conduct Addressed
In other news, Tuchel also commented on an incident involving Tottenham defender Djed Spence. The manager expressed his displeasure after Spence was seen walking past his club boss, Thomas Frank, without engaging following Chelsea's 1-0 defeat of Tottenham this month.
"Yeah, I didn't like it," said Tuchel, who witnessed the event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He stressed that the "standard of behaviour is always important" for national team players, even when they are not in camp.
Tuchel revealed he has spoken with Spence about the matter but did not consider dropping him from the squad for the Albania match. On the team news front, Jude Bellingham is in line to start, while Ezri Konsa has returned to Aston Villa due to a calf injury.
