Thomas Tuchel spoke to Djed Spence to remind him of the responsibilities of being an England player after the Tottenham Hotspur full-back ignored his club manager Thomas Frank earlier this month.
After Spurs lost 1-0 at home to Chelsea on November 1, 25-year-old Spence and team-mate Micky van de Ven were filmed walking straight past Frank as he told them to go out and acknowledge the home crowd at the end of the match.
Spence and Van de Ven both went to Frank’s office the next day to apologise unprompted, with Frank insisting that there was “no disrespect meant” and that they were “just frustrated”.
Tuchel, 52, has kept faith with Spence, and said on Saturday evening that he did not consider not calling him up for this month’s camp. But Tuchel revealed that he has spoken to Spence about the incident.
“I didn’t like it,” Tuchel said, ahead of Sunday afternoon’s final World Cup qualifier away in Albania. “Because the players know they are not only national players when they are ten days in camp. They are always national players, and the standard of behaviour is always important.”
England have a chance to complete their qualification campaign with an eighth win out of eight in Tirana. But Tuchel has also reminded his players not to pick up any red cards that could leave them facing a suspension when the World Cup starts in June.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a needless red card in their qualification defeat in Dublin earlier this week. He is currently waiting to hear the length of his suspension for the offence. Wayne Rooney was banned for the first two games of Euro 2012 after getting sent off in a qualifier against Montenegro in October 2011.
Tuchel will tell his players before the game not to get sent off. “It is important, I’m aware of it and we will talk about it,” Tuchel said. “No red cards please.”
Tuchel even said that because England have already qualified for the World Cup, that it would make more sense to avoid a red card and suspension, even it left England defensively exposed.
“Because we are through, if we are in a position with the last man, and if the player holds the shirt he gets the red card, if there’s a doubt then it would be smarter not to do it,” Tuchel said. “I don’t want to make it too big a subject because then you have a cloud above you. But if you have the choice: don’t do it.”
England will be without Ezri Konsa in Tirana, who has not travelled to Albania after feeling tightness in his calf. Marc Guehi will also miss the game having been unable to shake off a foot injury he sustained before the international camp. This means that Dan Burn or Jarell Quansah will likely partner John Stones at centre-back.