McNulty Q&A as England look to qualify for World Cup - get your questions in

Don't look back with disappointment - Tuchel's 'challenge' for Rashford

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

England

The England manager's most pointed remarks were reserved for a player he did pick in his squad - Marcus Rashford.

The Manchester United forward scored in the 5-0 win in Serbia and is starting to show a real return to form during the early part of his loan spell at Barcelona.

Thomas Tuchel urged Rashford to build on his revival and take his chance with England: "I think the limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others.

"He has the potential - but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports. You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis - that is what is demanded on this kind of level, and that is the challenge for him.

"He can be one of the best in the world because the quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head.

"He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air, so where are the limits? There are no limits - but the numbers don't reach the potential, it is as easy as that.

"I think he still has to make these decisions. He is still young enough to make these decisions, because otherwise he might be disappointed in 10 years with what he could have been and what he may have done."

'Door open' to players not in squad

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

Thomas Tuchel also opened the door for players not in the squad, such as Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Adam Wharton and Jack Grealish, and explained how he hopes they will be feeling: "The hunger to come back. The door is always open. We will always have trouble choosing.

"For a football nation like England we have a pool of talented players and we have to make a selection. So the ones in camp should feel first of all privileged, but they should also feel the hunger to keep the shirt.

"The ones who are not with us should also have the hunger to be with us when the next opportunity is and this is always through behaviour, through performance. The door is always open."

'A great opportunity for the players'

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

Matthew Upson

Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's a nice situation to have.

You know that at the end of the game if you put in a good performance and get a result [you qualify], a lot of the questions put to Thomas Tuchel yesterday were around that and how you prepare for that and if you do anything different, but I think it will be very much business as usual in how he sets his team up.

A great opportunity for the players to then go into two further matches with qualification already in the bag.

'I don't know which team I will pick'

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

England

More from England manager Thomas Tuchel on team selection: "I don't know which team I will pick, I have not decided yet. All of the players deserve [to be in the team]. The spirit and the momentum is clearly there. The players are fully focused, they trained with a lot of quality, you can sense it. Everyone has made an impact and made themselves available.

"I don't think we can go too wrong with the choices. But the focus is building a strong team, playing a team that's used to playing with each other to put in a strong performance to win an away game in a World Cup qualifier."

Kane fit to face Latvia

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

England

Thomas Tuchel chose not to start Harry Kane in Thursday's friendly win over Wales, but the plan backfired somewhat after his replacement, Ollie Watkins, picked up an injury.

There were also concerns that Kane might not be fit enough to start against Latvia, but the England boss said: "Harry [Kane] can play, he is fit. We did the right thing. I don't see why he should not be able to play 90 minutes. I don't see any obstacles there.

"Ollie [Watkins] left camp unfortunately. It was too painful, he couldn't train. He is in treatment with his club and is trying to prepare for the weekend."

England 'a pleasure to coach' right now

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

England

Things seem to have clicked for England under manager Thomas Tuchel.

There were plenty of questions asked heading into the last international break following a string of below-par performances.

But Tuchel never wavered, claiming he had seen a growing spirit in the camp.

Everything came together, just as he predicted, in that 5-0 win in Serbia, and they followed that up with a 3-0 victory over Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday.

Here is the Three Lions boss on how his team are progressing: "It's a pleasure to coach, a pleasure to watch at the moment. The effort against the ball against Wales was outstanding, especially the first half - they couldn't escape their own half.

"We are setting the standards and the team are setting the standards. They are hungry - they show their hunger.

"So we are getting there. There is always room for improvement, but it looks good at the moment."

How does Group K stand?

Could England be the first to qualify from the European section?

Well, with five wins from five and a vastly superior goal difference, they are well on course to finish top of Group K and secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup finals.

Who will finish runners-up - and claim a place in the play-offs - is less clear.

Albania are currently in second place, four points above third-placed Serbia, but having played a game more.

England's final two matches are against Serbia and Albania, so even if they secure qualification with victory in Latvia tonight, they could still have an important part to play in the battle for the play-off spot.

Tuesday, 14 October

Andorra v Serbia (19:45 BST)

Latvia v England (19:45 BST)

Thursday, 13 November

Andorra v Albania (19:45 GMT)

England v Serbia (19:45 GMT)

Sunday, 16 November

Albania v England (17:00 GMT)

Serbia v Latvia (17:00 GMT)

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