CLOSE CALLS! Tuchel reveals why Eze kept his place in the England squad ahead of Palmer and Foden - and why he apologised to Mainoo

Thomas Tuchel admitted Arsenal star Eberechi Eze was lucky to keep his place ahead of England rivals. Tuchel also revealed he apologised to Kobbie Mainoo in front of the whole England squad after not giving the Manchester United midfielder any minutes at the World Cup.

But Mainoo missed out on this squad for Nations League games against Croatia and Spain and there was no way back for Phil Foden. Yet Tuchel said Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White kept their places because of their loyalty and they were in last time. England boss Tuchel said: "Phil is always an option because I'm in love with him as a player.

"What is not to love? If you see the boy train it's just the highest, highest quality. I think he has to be always an option. And he is always an option. It was very close.

"It's also close for Eberechi Eze to keep his place with us. [He's] not starting for Arsenal. So the advantage was maybe that Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze come again into camp.

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"The advantage was that they have been in camp. Because they need to fight for it. That's what we want. And Phil is always close.”

But Tuchel explained that Mainoo paid the price for United's poor form but there was an insight into the story behind his World Cup snub. Mainoo went to the United States but did not get a minute of action and then pulled out of last month’s camp through injury.

Tuchel added: "He was hugely disappointed from the World Cup, and deservedly so. I said it in front of the team, in front of the staff, I said, 'Sorry that I didn't pick you, you did nothing wrong, that is on me'. He was disappointed.

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"I think it cost him a bit of confidence. He was excellent in training and in the way he presented himself through the tournament. So he was never a problem, the way he carried himself. Then he pulled out of last camp.

"I was desperate to give him the minutes. Desperate to include him in this new start, in Nations League. He pulled out. And he then missed camp, and he missed an excellent camp.

"And then entered a difficult, difficult spell for himself. He was injured now, for a long time. And Man United fell of a cliff a little bit performance-wise. So this is why he suffers from that."