Pickford discovers where he stands as Trafford gets Spain nod AGAIN

James Trafford has been told he will start against Spain - and that puts a major doubt over Jordan Pickford’s status as No1.

England boss Thomas Tuchel also revealed fit-again Ezri Konsa will go straight back into the starting line-up against the world champions in the Metropolitano Stadium.

It is a winner-takes-all showdown in the Nations League and that is why it is a surprise that Tuchel has decided to go with Trafford over his established first choice keeper which must raise questions over Pickford’s long-term future.

Tuchel said: “We want to try and see how far Traff is. That hasn't changed. So he gets a highly competitive match. We had some changes in the back four in the last match, so we went for more stability and more experience with Pickers. And Traff gets the match tomorrow.

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“It's only a football match, so hopefully he's not too over-excited or overly nervous, because there's no need to. We trust him.

“But it is different to play for England than to play for your club. And to have the opportunity to play matches where it really matters is the best way of course to show up, and to show that you're ready, and for us also to see where he is.

“We know what Jordan can do for us. Jordan is at the moment our No1. I have a very clear picture in high-pressure moments. He played in tournaments and played for me in the World Cup. It's a good goalkeeping group that we built there and they’re pushing themselves.”

England will make changes in defence to try and defeat Spain and end their 43-game unbeaten record with Konsa coming back to steady the ship.

Tuchel says Konsa’s performances this season have been “amazing” and he is set to rerun after a knee issue ruled him out of the win over Croatia. He added: “I saw him when he played his first match for Arsenal after William Saliba’s injury. It just looked like he's always been there. It was seamless.

“For us, it’s amazing that he plays on the highest level, competes for every title, is in an atmosphere and in a situation where it really matters that you stay focused and you show up every three days. It's only positives for us.

“He did very well and we gave him the chance to take care of his little niggle. He took it seriously and he showed that we can trust him. He showed up yesterday for individual work, he showed up today for training and he's ready to play.

“I think it's in itself a big match, Spain against England. I think Spain, since years, on an incredible run. They seem impossible to beat. I think we are in a very good moment. And in the best moment also to try and make the seemingly-impossible possible.

"Because we are here to win. We wanted this match desperately. We thought we were very close to beating them in the first match with a good performance. It's an achievement in itself that we already have 12 points. I think it was a tricky group, when we saw the draw.

“So we have 12, and have a final. It's exactly what we want. And I think it's two powerful teams, two teams in a very good place at the moment. Two teams who like to dominate the ball and create chances. We feel in a good place. It's the moment to show up and try to win.”