England head coach Thomas Tuchel revealed that Lewis Hall missed several training sessions with the national team due to concerns over a potential injury. This explains why the defender was absent from the squad during the match against Spain.
Hall was named on the bench but did not feature on Saturday evening as England fell 2-3 to the reigning world and European champions in the opening game of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League season.
“Lewis Hall missed a few training sessions because of worries about a possible injury. That’s why I was hesitant to bring him onto the pitch. He was considered as an option and trained well towards the end of the week, but he missed sessions earlier on. We didn’t want to take any risks, especially since there was a lot of high-intensity running and defensive work against Lamine Yamal ahead.
I didn’t want to risk him. We always see him as a candidate for the left-back position — that’s where he plays for his club, whereas Nico operates as a central midfielder. Regarding Lewis, he will continue to compete for a place in the squad and will have the chance to play his first matches; there are still several games ahead,” Tuchel explained.
On Tuesday evening, England will resume their Nations League campaign with a match against Czech Republic in Prague, followed by the conclusion of the extended autumn international break with fixtures against Croatia and a return game versus the Czech Republic.
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