Thomas Tuchel Prepares for First Fixtures as England Head Coach

Thomas Tuchel will oversee his first round of club fixtures as England’s new head coach, starting with Tottenham’s Premier League match against Newcastle on Saturday. The German, 51, took over as the Three Lions’ manager in October replacing Gareth Southgate. He officially began his tenure on January 1 and now he is preparing for England’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign which will kick off on March 21 against Albania at Wembley.

For the upcoming match, several England players are set to feature including Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke and midfielder James Maddison. In contrast, Newcastle will field their own England internationals with defender Lewis Hall and winger Anthony Gordon likely to play. Meanwhile, Tuchel has added three new members to his backroom staff.

Goalkeeping coach Henrique Hilario, performance coach Nicolas Mayer and analyst James Melbourne will join his team. Hilario from Portugal and Melbourne from England both previously worked with Tuchel at Chelsea during the 2021-22 season. Additionally, Mayer a French coach has worked alongside Tuchel at both Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

These new additions will work alongside assistant coach Anthony Barry, whom Thomas Tuchel appointed in October as well as the existing England senior staff. Together, they will prepare the team for future challenges. Tuchel will now focus on building a squad for the World Cup qualifiers and shaping England’s future under his leadership.