Thomas Tuchel says Manchester City players will remain eligible for England selection even if the club is relegated to the Championship.
The England manager was speaking after an independent Premier League commission found City guilty of breaches of the competition’s financial regulations, with the club having since lodged an appeal against the ruling.
The uncertainty surrounding City has become a subject of conversation within the England camp, particularly for the players directly affected. Tuchel acknowledged that their situation is naturally difficult while insisting selection will continue to be based on the needs of his squad.
“There’s always a possibility.
“I think I will always try to pick the best team for the camp, for the occasion, for the tournament, and I will never rule out that they don’t play in the top flight in their country. So you need to look at this case-by-case.”
Marc Guéhi and Elliot Anderson are among the City players currently with England, while Tuchel admitted the commission’s ruling has been discussed by members of the squad during the international break.
The Mirror reported that the players had time between matches to talk about the issue, with Tuchel saying the subject was impossible to ignore given the uncertainty surrounding their club.
“I mean, we had some time off and some time between the matches, and it's a big subject.
“If I say now it's not, then I can just speak for myself, which would be totally narrow-minded. I think it is a distraction. It is. Let's say it is a subject.
“We speak about it at dinner and at a table of eight or twelve people. Of course, we speak about it at breakfast. And I know that the Man City players get a lot, a lot of messages and phone calls and feedback about it.”
Tuchel also addressed the position of the players themselves, saying their concerns were understandable given their age and the uncertainty over what happens next.
“Are they worried or like are they concerned? I think that would be a very human reaction if you don't know what's going on for the club that you signed. They're still young. They're ambitious. They're told they are totally innocent and don't know what's going on. So yeah, I think it is a subject.”
City’s appeal means the commission’s findings are not the end of the process, leaving the club and its players facing continued uncertainty.
For England, however, Tuchel’s position is clear: a change in City’s domestic division would not automatically remove their players from international consideration. The manager will assess them individually alongside the rest of his squad.