Thomas Tuchel, the England national team's coach, confirmed that Jordan Pickford is still the team's primary goalkeeper, hinting at the same time that he might share the playing field during the Three Lions' two matches this week.
Pickford remains a mainstay in the England national team since former coach Gareth Southgate chose him to be the main goalkeeper before the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Pickford, Everton's goalkeeper, played a pivotal role in all tournaments during the last eight years, but his situation suddenly changed when he sat as a substitute in the first gathering of the English national team after the 2026 World Cup.
Pickford, who played 93 international matches, participated in two matches out of four matches during the last international break, as Tuchel brought on substitute goalkeeper James Trafford in the first two matches.
Tuchel was asked if Pickford had lost his place as the first goalkeeper for the England national team, to which he replied: “No, he is still the first goalkeeper, and nothing has changed, but the competition also exists, like the rest of the players in all positions.”
He added: “We want to give Trafford an opportunity to participate regularly in the current period, and he actually performed well when the two shared participation in the last camp.”
He continued in statements reported by the British news agency (PA Media): “I am not sure what we will do this time, but it is possible to repeat the experience.”
He pointed out: “I will speak with the goalkeeping coach in the technical staff, because the goalkeepers form an independent group in their own right, and this is logical and worthy.”
Tuchel concludes a busy year with England by playing two matches in the European Nations League, the first against Croatia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, before heading out to face world champion Spain on Sunday.
The German national team was completed with the addition of all 24 players, including Ridley Baku, who was summoned at the last minute to the team’s camp in Herzogenaurach, near the city of Nuremberg, in preparation for two matches in the group stage of the European Nations League.
On Sunday, Jurgen Klopp summoned Ridley Paco, Leipzig's right-back, to replace Borussia Dortmund player Waldemar Anton, who was excluded due to suffering from a muscle injury.
The German Football Association announced the arrival of all 24 players to the camp to begin training, in preparation for facing Serbia in Belgrade on Friday, then hosting the Netherlands, the leaders in Berlin, three days later.
The German camp was joined by Niklas Volkrug, a Werder Bremen striker returning to the national team, and the promising talent Wael Mohaya (17 years old), a Borussia Mönchengladbach player, who is of Moroccan origin and was wanted by the “Atlas Lions.”
Germany's main goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, is 34 years old, twice as old as Mohaya.
Klopp hopes to lead the German national team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the European Nations League, which will be held in March 2027, to make up for the disappointment in the 2026 World Cup.
The German team currently ranked third in its group must occupy one of the first or second places in the second group of the first level, in order to qualify for the quarter-finals.
The Netherlands and Greece lead the group with 8 points each, and Germany comes behind them with 5 points after being content with a single win in the first four rounds.
American Alex Mikkelsen and Britain's Cameron Norrie qualified for the round of 16 in the men's singles competition of the Stockholm Open tennis tournament (250 points category), which is held on hard courts inside an indoor hall.
Mikkelsen qualified by defeating German Jannick Hanfmann, 6-2, 6-3, while Nouri defeated Australian James Duckworth, 7-5, 6-0, in the Round of 32, on Monday.
In a third match, Croatian Borna Gojo defeated Czech Tomas Makhač with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
Nouri is awaiting a strong confrontation against American Taylor Fritz, who is participating in the Stockholm Championship for the first time, while Mikkelsen will play against Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Fritz and Nouri are preparing for their 15th confrontation in various tennis tournaments, and the first in two years, noting that the American star prevails 8-6 in direct confrontations between them.
The total prize money for the Stockholm Tennis Championship is 723,435 euros.
