Tuchel had to ‘clear the air’ with Ivan Toney before World Cup wildcard choice

• Tuchel unhappy at Toney’s commitment in 2025

• Head coach justifies not including Phil Foden

Thomas Tuchel made Ivan Toney the wildcard selection of his World Cup squad after holding clear-the-air talks with him over his attitude.

The England head coach also considered how Harry Kane likes to play alongside Toney before making the Al-Ahli striker the most eye-catching inclusion of his 26-man party for the tournament.

Tuchel’s squad announcement at Wembley was dominated as ever by the players he overlooked – chiefly Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Harry Maguire.

Tuchel said Palmer had “just failed” to produce consistently this season, while he admitted he no longer knew Foden’s best position.