England boss Tuchel holds talks with Rashford and Foden

Thomas Tuchel insists he appreciates the efforts of Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden after the England manager held talks with the duo following the 2-0 win over Albania.

The former Chelsea boss started his stint in charge of the Three Lions with a mundane victory in their World Cup qualifying opener.

But after that game, the German was critical of the impact Aston Villa forward Rashford – on loan from Manchester United – and Manchester City ace Foden had on the flanks.

However, addressing the media before Monday’s contest with Latvia at Wembley, Tuchel struck a conciliatory tone, stating better connections need to be built with the midfield.

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He said: “I’ve spoken to both of them, also in front of the group. They know that I appreciate the effort, I think especially off the ball.

“We can see in the numbers and when we watch the match again how much effort they put into defending high and to the counter-press.

“Also in their sprinting numbers, Marcus had a lot of runs when we had the ball where we did not see him or use him.

“Phil is just maybe not finding the momentum, at the moment, that he can have.

“But both of them are very positive, have every right to be positive and know exactly what we want from them. Ideally we try to bring them in more one-on-one situations.”

England take on Latvia at Wembley in their second World Cup qualifier on Monday.