Replacing Livramento with Chalobah – in another example of Tuchel’s apparent preference for tall, physical defenders – again suggests Konsa will be selected ahead of Marc Guehi against Croatia.
Chalobah only has one senior England cap, in the 3-1 defeat to Senegal at the City Ground a year ago, so it is big vote of confidence from Tuchel in a 26-year-old who is inexperienced at this level.
Stones, 32, remains England’s classiest and most experienced defender as he goes into his sixth major tournament. Tuchel is a huge admirer of his quality.
However, the centre-half has struggled with injuries – starting only five Premier League games last season. He left Manchester City at the end of last season.
Chelsea captain James has struggled with regular hamstring injuries in recent years. He started only 20 league games last season.
Stones and James are high-quality defenders, but Tuchel will have to keep his fingers crossed over their fitness and manage minutes in the searing conditions England will face.
The Three Lions’ defence is the least settled and most concerning area of the team. It will continue to be so.
Tuchel’s decision to select a central defender in Chalobah, rather than a natural full-back replacement, is further proof Real Madrid’s Alexander-Arnold remains well out of the picture.
Alexander-Arnold’s fate seemed sealed as far back as August when Tuchel left him out of England’s squad for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
This was after Tuchel even opted to pick Alexander-Arnold’s former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones, a central midfielder, ahead of him at right-back against Andorra in June.
Tuchel has made his concerns over Alexander-Arnold’s perceived defensive frailties clear, saying: “If he wants to have this impact in the English national team then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously.
“Because when we are talking, especially about qualifying football, and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100% awake, can be decisive. It can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home.”
Packing his suitcase early for a flight back to England is not on Tuchel’s agenda – so one of the country’s most naturally gifted footballers is overlooked again.
Alexander-Arnold was not included in Tuchel’s 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, missing out again when the coach needed to seek reinforcements.
Tuchel instead picked Arsenal’s Ben White, who has not been a regular at club level and had been in self-imposed England exile since the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Alexander-Arnold did make Tuchel’s provisional 55-man World Cup squad, although that could hardly be called a ringing endorsement.
It is in sharp contrast to the faith placed in Alexander-Arnold by Lee Carsley, England’s Under-21 coach who bridged the gap between Southgate’s departure and Tuchel’s appointment.
Carsley even used Alexander-Arnold at left-back in a 3-1 Nations League win at Finland in October 2024, crowning his performance with a superb free-kick.
Alexander-Arnold started four games out of six under Carsley but none of Tuchel’s 14 – those facts speak for themselves.
As a head coach who fixates on squad togetherness, was there a worry that having such a high-profile player on the margins might lead Alexander-Arnold to provide an unintentional distraction and focus of attention?
Alexander-Arnold’s latest rejection appears to be further evidence there is no way back for him with England as long as Tuchel is in charge.
When Tuchel named his 26-player World Cup squad, he made his approach to selection crystal clear.
The German said: “We are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships.”
If there is a nod to history, this was the exact mission statement from Sir Alf Ramsey before England won the 1966 World Cup.
Tuchel has picked a talented squad, but also a pragmatic one he believes is physically equipped for the task ahead.
That was bad news for Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, while Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly’s renaissance came just too late to change Tuchel’s mind.
Manchester United veteran Harry Maguire broke ranks before the squad was officially named to reveal he had been left out and was “shocked and gutted”.
Tuchel, in fact, had stated after Maguire made an England return for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March that he was still fifth choice on his central defensive list.
