England manager Thomas Tuchel has spoken out on his decision not to name Brighton star Danny Welbeck in his squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.
The veteran forward was widely tipped to be a part of the ex-Chelsea boss’ team to provide cover for Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane in the final third, but Tuchel instead opted to name just one out-and-out No. 9 in his squad.
Welbeck has scored six goals in 10 Premier League appearances so far this season, and his displays sparked plenty of conversations about whether he could be an option for the upcoming camp ahead of the likes of Liam Delap and Ollie Watkins.
However, Tuchel overlooked the trio entirely, naming several versatile forwards in his 25-man squad instead.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about how close Welbeck was to being called up, the Three Lions boss said: “Yes, he was close. I think it’s always an option because he’s a fantastic leader in Brighton and a very special player.
“He’s scoring regularly and, yes, he was close. He’s not out of the picture. He’s in contention. We see what he can bring, and it was a close one. We decided for other options.”
Tuchel had previously spoken about the tough calls he made when selecting his attacking options for the two fixtures, and he cited the likes of Phil Foden and Anthony Gordon as two options who could play through the middle in the absence of Kane.
He said: “We don’t have this clear No.9 profile now behind Harry. Harry is the No.1 at the moment and a very complete No.9, of course, for us. But I think, given different game scenarios, Anthony Gordon played there for Newcastle, Marcus Rashford plays there for Barcelona.
“In a game scenario where we find more space behind the last line, this could be a very valid option with the speed. I think Phil (Foden) can play a very fluid No.9 for us in this camp. I think we have enough options to be dangerous. Jude (Bellingham) comes back, who shows up regularly in No.9 positions. I think we will be able to create chances and convert them.”