Anthony Gordon insists there was ‘no chance’ of dropping out of Lee Carsley’s England side despite aggravating an injury in Newcastle’s win at Nottingham Forest

While we sit and wait for the overdue arrival of Thomas Tuchel as manager, the transition from how England looked and felt last summer and how they may be in the future has already started, in some quarters at least.

We should, at this time of hesitancy and unnecessary pause, be grateful for players such as Anthony Gordon.

If Tuchel will walk through the door with a new broom in January, then Gordon already represents the breath of fresh air. Hardly used by Gareth Southgate during last summer’s Euros, the Newcastle winger has been given his head by interim manager Lee Carsley in this Nations League campaign. 

Despite the competition for places in wide areas, the 23-year-old already carries the look of a developing footballer no right-minded national coach would wish to be without.

More pertinently at the moment, when he is called on he will be here — and that feels important. 

Thomas Tuchel will not take command of the England team until the start of the new year

Despite aggravating an injury in Newcastle’s win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Gordon revealed last night that he gave no thought to joining the list of nine players who have now withdrawn from Carsley’s squad. Gordon will not be one of those incurring the wrath of captain Harry Kane, it seems. 

‘No, that wasn’t a possibility,’ said Gordon. ‘I came here to get assessed and see how it is and the staff here thought they could help me with the injury.

‘And they have done that, to be fair. They’ve done an excellent job because I’ve been training straight away. It’s gone to a certain extent, now.

‘It’s an injury I had a couple of weeks ago and it stayed with me a little bit but there was no chance I would not come here.’

Gordon’s football carries a directness that makes him different and therefore useful.

It’s mirrored by his attitude and Gordon can expect to play against Greece here on Thursday night.

Carsley has promised an attacking line-up for a game England must win and is without wide players Jack Grealish and Phil Foden.

It is no longer Carsley that these players have to impress, though. Gordon declared himself unmoved by the fact Tuchel will not travel to watch England in the Olympic Stadium on Thursday night or when they finish their campaign at home to Ireland on Sunday.

Gordon looks like a developing footballer no right-minded coach would wish to be without

The Newcastle star is a direct option, and therefore useful option for Carsley, and soon Tuchel

‘He can watch the games back wherever he is in the world, which I’m sure he’ll be doing,’ said Gordon. But he was more expansive on his shared history with Tuchel, who tried to sign the winger from Everton when he was Chelsea boss. 

‘Yeah, it was quite close, to be honest,’ said Gordon of the failed move in the summer of 2022. ‘I was desperate to go at the time and to work with him especially.

‘I felt like my style would suit his style of play, the way he was playing at Chelsea, which was very exciting for me.

‘It was a big opportunity for me that didn’t end up happening but I’m looking forward to getting to work with him a few years later.’

Asked if he spoke to Tuchel at the time and whether he was aware he had been identified as a possible Chelsea wing back, Gordon added: ‘I spoke to him after the game when we played Chelsea for Everton. I shook his hand and that was about it. He said some really complimentary things to me that I’ll keep to myself.

‘I felt a lot of warmth from him which then in turn made me really want to play for him, but I didn’t get that chance.

‘And I don’t care where I play. As long as I’m on the pitch, I feel like I can perform. That’s what I want to do, perform on a high level. If he wants to play me there, I’d be more than happy.

‘As a winger, my main role is to go at players and try to cause trouble and do as much in the final third as I can. In an England team, your main focus is to attack because there are very few teams where we sit back and allow them to have the ball. I think we’re always going to try and go for it, especially under Lee. That’s what we’ve done so far.’

Harry Kane has slammed England’s drop-outs for ‘taking advantage of a tough period of the season’

Carsley has promised to field an attacking line-up when his side take on Greece on Thursday

Jarrad Branthwaite became the ninth player to leave the England camp on Wednesday

The conversation around squad withdrawals was already audible before Kane turned up the volume. Carsley on Wednesday talked about it being normal for the November break, but that’s only partly true. Everton centre back Jarrad Branthwaite became the ninth player to leave camp on Wednesday. It’s an unprecedented number.

Called out by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola last week for selecting Grealish, who hadn’t started a game for a month, Carsley calmly explained the manner in which medical staff from club and country had been in dialogue about that issue and indeed many others.

What’s clear, however, is that the attitude of the club managers also plays a huge part in all of this.

‘My manager Eddie Howe loves England,’ said Gordon of his Newcastle boss. ‘He speaks very well. When I go back, he always congratulates me on every cap I get. It’s good to have that support from him. He’s English, I’m sure he wants to see England win.’