Czech Republic v England LIVE: Latest team news and line-ups from Nations League

Despite losing to Spain last weekend, Tuchel does not feel his team ‘must win’ against the Czechs tonight.

“It’s a bit early for must-win,” Tuchel explained.

“I know what you mean but it is a bit early in the group for a must-win.

“We always arrive and prepare the team with a target to win. It was the target against Spain and it is the same.

“We respect the quality and the challenge it brings. You play in Prague against Czechia, it is difficult. There will be support for the home team.

“We always prepare for the win, we want the win. It is too early to speak for a must. It would be ideal.”

Thomas Tuchel knows that his team must not take anything for granted this evening when they come up against the Czech Republic and that England will need to earn any victory they achieve.

“We expect a difficult one [match],” Tuchel said.

“They were very organised against Croatia. We need to be ready. That’s how it always is.”

The World Cup final England could have had but, on this evidence, there would still have been the same champions.

At the very least, Thomas Tuchel has been reminded of the real level that is going to be required to potentially win at this very stadium on 9 July 2028. Might this 3-2 Spain victory even provide a preview?

The Three Lions have two wins, two draws and one defeat in those five meetings with their first encounter dating back to 1998 under Glenn Hoddle.

England and Czechia have met on five previous occasions, last meeting at the delayed Euro 2020.

The Three Lions ran out 1-0 winners in a group stage match-up.

England will be wearing their home kit against the Czech Republic tonight despite playing the match away from home.

There is no colour clash so the Three Lions do not have to veer away from the iconic white shirts.

This will be the seventh consecutive fixture in which Thomas Tuchel’s men have donned the white strip, last wearing the away kit for the 2-0 victory over Panama in the World Cup group stage.

Much of the talk from this camp has been about England developing their own identity on the pitch in a similar way to how Spain have done.

“The top-transition goal we scored was an amazing goal, and we could have created more,” Thomas Tuchel said when speaking about whether his team took steps in that direction last weekend.

“The effort against the ball is also identity. The effort against the ball and the bravery and courage to have the high ball wins was outstanding.

“I think we had 12 or 15 more ball wins in the opponent’s half than Spain. But we couldn’t convert enough into chances and goals, because otherwise we would have won the match.”

Thomas Tuchel assessed England’s performance following the 3-2 defeat to Spain and admitted his team, who went behind with less than two minutes on the clock, got off to the ‘worst start possible’.

“The start was terrible, the worst start possible,” Tuchel said.

“It makes it so, so difficult to be behind against this kind of team.

“The reaction was very, very good. After 10 or 12 minutes, I think we were the better team. We still made two or three big mistakes and conceded big chances, but overall we were better.

“We dominated at home in the first half. We created, scored two goals and I think it was our best 15 minutes after the whistle.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t convert the penalty, which maybe would have been the decisive moment, because I think then Spain would have maybe, for the first time, believed that their long run of unbeaten games ends here.”

Nico O’Reilly missed training on Monday and will sit out the upcoming trip to Prague.

Thomas Tuchel’s comments suggest minimal changes to the starting XI from the Spain clash, with the boss having confirmed after that game that James Trafford will continue in goal for the Czech Republic encounter, before Jordan Pickford takes the gloves for the remaining two matches in this international window.

One decision could come at right-back as the German mulls whether to continue with Jarell Quansah or whether this is the right time to reintegrate Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold into the side.

At left-back, Lewis Hall will likely come in for O’Reilly, while Jarrad Branthwaite is an option instead of Konsa if required.