Lee Carsley Prepares to Hand Over England Squad

Lee Carsley, the interim head coach of England, has revealed that he has not had a direct conversation with the incoming permanent manager Thomas Tuchel, who will officially take over on January 1. Their communication has been limited to congratulatory text messages, highlighting the respect Tuchel has for Carsley's current role. Carsley is set to lead England in two final Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland before returning to his position as the Under-21s coach. He confirmed that Tuchel had no influence on his squad selection for these games, which includes the first senior call-ups for players like Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Lewis Hall. Carsley expressed optimism about handing over a healthy squad to Tuchel, despite the lack of direct dialogue. He emphasized his commitment to focusing on the upcoming matches rather than external distractions.