Tuchel’s will not officially start as England manager until January 1, despite being announced as Gareth Southgate’s permanent replacement last month, meaning Carsley faces a difficult task in encouraging the remaining players for the two upcoming matches, knowing that he will not be there in the new year.
In the aftermath of the withdrawals, the Telegraph claim that insiders from several Premier League clubs believe that the delay in Tuchel’s official takeover is the reason for the high number of pull-outs.
There is also the belief that even more players will leave the camp after the match against Greece, considering that so much hinges on that result, and anything but a win will likely make the Ireland clash a dead rubber.
The Telegraph’s source on this issue claims in the report: “At least half of those players would still be with the squad if Tuchel was in charge for these games.
“That’s not to say they don’t have injuries or issues, but players aren’t going to take any risks when they know the current manager won’t be there after this break.
“Players are physically and mentally tired, and many of them, and their clubs, see this as the only opportunity for a break before a run of a lot of games packed into a short space of time.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see more withdrawals after the first game against Greece.”
The fact that many pundits and managers in England see the Nations League as a hindrance rather than a competition that should be taken seriously will have not made the situation any easier either.
While not speaking out specifically on multiple first-choice players pulling out, the FA has responded to criticism over Tuchel’s January start date.
They explain that it was their intention all along for the German to start in 2025, allowing him to fully concentrate on long-term objectives for the time being, instead of these upcoming UNL games.
The plan when Carsley was placed in temporary charge was for him to lead the team through the three international windows this autumn, ensuring a smooth transition into Tuchel’s tenure, and the appointment of the ex-Chelsea boss was not intended to change that.