With a talented squad at their disposal, England will surely head into next year’s competition as one of the favourites and look to finally end their 60-year drought without a trophy.
Before Tuesday’s match, TNT Sports gave fans the opportunity to put themselves in Tuchel’s shoes and select the best possible starting XI to face Latvia in the World Cup qualifier.
Who is the best centre-back partnership between Dan Burn, Marc Guehi and John Stones? Does Morgan Rogers deserve to start after his performance against Wales? Will Marcus Rashford get the nod over Anthony Gordon? Check out the results below.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was the player who earned the most votes to start against Latvia with 96% of fans selecting the central midfielder.
The 26-year-old has become one of the best players in his position over the last couple of years and Tuchel has selected Rice in every international squad since becoming the boss of the national team.
The German clearly rates the midfielder’s leadership after selecting the Arsenal man to captain his country in the friendly against Wales in the absence of Harry Kane.
Since teaming up with Kalvin Phillips at the Euros four years ago, England have struggled to find a consistent partner for Rice, but England fans have made their voices heard and selected Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.
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Anderson is now ‘nailed on’ in Tuchel’s England team, says Keown
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The 22-year-old has thrived since moving to the City Ground on a permanent transfer from Newcastle United at the start of last season, and was a key reason why the club qualified for Europe for the first time in 30 years.
“I think he plays for England at the World Cup,” Cole said. “I’ve watched him many times, I see something in him, he is a winner, there was a moment at the Euros, he was dropped for a game at the Under-21s and then he came on and he scored the penalty.
“There was some anger in his face, there was real belief, the way he snaps into tackles, and I am thinking to myself, as a player, I would want Elliot Anderson playing next to me and I think Thomas Tuchel has seen that and I think he has put himself in pole position, I really do.”
England will also be hopeful of building a solid foundation at the back and the supporters have voted for Tuchel to select Guehi and Dan Burn at centre-back against Latvia.
However, the defender has maintained his fine form and notched up his first goal for England in the win over Serbia before providing an assist for Rogers in the Wales victory.
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‘He is a dream’ – Hargreaves says Guehi has ability to play for Madrid
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“He’s a fabulous player but he’s probably even as nice a lad as he is a player,” he said.
“The way he handled that situation, he could’ve thrown his toys out of the pram like some others players did, and got their move but he has been the ultimate professional.
“He knows he is the captain of the football club, they’ve helped him, and he will get his move probably at the end of the season and he could probably go anywhere… Real Madrid.
“He’s a dream. On the ball he’s really good, he can defend really well. He’s only 25. He’s the oldest 25-year-old I’ve ever seen because he’s so level-headed. He’s so composed and so reliable.”
Guehi claimed a whopping 94% of the vote, while Burn just pipped Stones to a place in the starting XI.
At the other end of the pitch, England fans voted for Rashford to start over Gordon with the Manchester United loanee earning 57% of the vote.
Rashford has appeared to elevate his game since leaving Old Trafford to join Barcelona on a season-long loan and his form has not gone unnoticed by the fans.
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‘Special strike’ – Rashford ROCKET stuns St James’ Park into silence
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“We’ve just seen not enough nights like that. But it’s great to see him smiling and back at it.
“When he’s at his best he’s an England starter, he could be a Barcelona starter, he could get into any team in the world, and you just want to see him enjoying his football again.”
England starting XI after fan vote
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
Right-back: Ezri Konsa – Reece James claimed 80% of the vote but withdrew from the squad.
Left-back: Myles Lewis-Skelly
Central midfielder: Elliot Anderson
Central midfielder: Declan Rice
Central midfielder Rear seat
Left winger: Marcus Rashford
Right winger: Bukayo from
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