"Saw 1 game and has seen enough", "Finally dropped" - Fans react as England boss Thomas Tuchel names 24-year-old star on bench for Latvia clash 

England fans were left satisfied after head coach Thomas Tuchel benched Phil Foden for their clash against Latvia in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The game is set to take place on Monday, March 24, at the Wembley Stadium.

Thomas Tuchel has seemingly opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation for England's clash against Latvia, with Jordan Pickford as the starting goalkeeper. Reece James, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, and Myles Lewis-Skelly form the backline. Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice start in midfield. Jarrod Bowen, Morgan Rogers, and Marcus Rashford feature in the attacking line-up with Harry Kane as the striker.

Fans took to X to react to England's starting XI, with multiple fans expressing their delight at Phil Foden's exclusion. One X user wrote:

"Tuchel saw 1 game of Foden and has seen enough."

"Foden dropped is brilliant news, he’s been playing off past memories. This squad looks savage tbf," another fan remarked.

"Foden will be playing championship with city next season," another netizen jibed.

"Foden back where he belongs," a fan chimed in.

Fans continued to react to Phil Foden's exclusion from the lineup:

"Foden finally dropped," a user exclaimed.

"No Foden in starting XI. Good one from Tuchel," a netizen opined.

"No foden love it tuchel seen enough," a user quipped.

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England boss Thomas Tuchel claimed Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford were "not as impactful" in their opening World Cup qualifier

Thomas Tuchel - Source: Getty

In the pre-match press conference ahead of the Latvia clash, England coach Thomas Tuchel weighed in on Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford's performance against Albania. The duo were unable to deliver their best during the Three Lions' 2-0 win over Albania (March 21) in their opening World Cup qualifier.

"I think both of our wingers who started [Foden and Rashford] were not as impactful as they normally can be, or as they normally are in club football. (...) I've spoken to both of them, also in front of the group. They know that I appreciate the effort, especially off the ball," Tuchel said (via Sky Sports).

While Tuchel retained Marcus Rashford from the starting XI against Latvia, Phil Foden has been relegated to the bench. Speaking about the Manchester City midfielder's performance last game, Tuchel said:

"Phil is just maybe not finding the momentum at the moment that he can have. (...) He needs maybe a little bit closer connections to a No 10 than we could provide in this match. But, off the ball, the effort was there and that's what counts."

It remains to be seen whether Tuchel grants Foden some minutes off the bench against Latvia. The Englishman has four goals in 44 caps for the Three Lions across competitions.