Thomas Tuchel began this international break with a simple ambition: continuity. Having guided England to the World Cup semi-finals in North America over the summer, the manager wanted to retain faith in the core group that carried his side on that run. Football, however, rarely cooperates with tidy plans.
By the time Tuchel named his squad for the four-match Nations League window in mid-September, injuries had already stripped away several World Cup regulars. More withdrawals followed in the weeks after, and by the time England faced Czechia at Wembley in the final fixture of the window, only 12 players who had featured at the World Cup remained available to him.
Rather than lament the circumstances, Tuchel used the disruption as an opportunity to experiment. The results were encouraging: a defeat to Spain was followed by back-to-back wins over Czechia either side of a commanding 7-0 victory against Croatia in Rijeka. Throughout, Tuchel and his staff worked to refine a more expansive playing style, one that grants players greater freedom to roam while still emphasizing defensive cover for teammates.
The window produced clear standouts. Alex Scott impressed from his first involvement, coming off the bench to debut against Czechia in Prague before starting against Croatia, where his composure and surging runs caught the eye. Tuchel did not hide his enthusiasm. "Alex came in here now and was on a completely new level," he said. "He was super strong." Unfortunately for Scott, a thigh injury sustained against Croatia will sideline him for roughly two months, ruling him out of November's matches against Croatia and Spain.
Lewis Hall also emerged as a major beneficiary, cementing his place at left-back after Nico O'Reilly withdrew following the Spain match. Hall started in each of the remaining fixtures, prompting Tuchel to praise "three top matches from him." Myles Lewis-Skelly also drew positive reviews after Tuchel deployed him as a midfielder rather than a left-back for the first time, starting three games. However, yellow cards picked up in both Czechia matches mean he will be suspended for the upcoming home game against Croatia. Tuchel admitted he had not initially clocked the caution: