England will be ‘underdogs’ at World Cup – Thomas Tuchel

He was handed an 18-month contract, with the primary goal of leading England to World Cup glory.

“If you’ve never won Wimbledon, you may be one of the favourites but you are not the favourite,” Tuchel said.

“You can go and if you come close, OK, you are within the pool, but you are not the favourite. It is just how it is.

“There is Brazil, there is Argentina, Spain, France and they just did it recently.

“It doesn’t mean we have no chance and we know very well. First we will qualify and then we will know exactly why we go there.”

Tuchel gets his latest opportunity to cast an eye over his options when England play Wales in a friendly on Thursday, and then Latvia in a World Cup qualifier on 14 October.

But the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager omitted Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, who were regulars under Gareth Southgate, from his latest squad, while Reece James has dropped out with an injury.

Talisman Harry Kane will also sit out the friendly with Wales with a foot problem but is expected to return against Latvia.

Former boss Southgate created a tight-knit squad during his tenure – something former captain Steven Gerrard said wasn’t the case during his time with the ‘Golden Generation’ – and Tuchel wants to ensure that spirit remains.

“Let’s go step by step and it just buys into the other step. We build a team that is ready to go step by step and play as a team, and no-one wants hopefully to play against us,” Tuchel said.

“When I hear people talking about their titles in international football or their missed chances I hear always the same song: we have been a team or we haven’t been a team. It is always the same song in international football.

“I also think it is the same headline in club football, but even more if you stick together 24/7 for a nine-day period, and then as long as possible in America, you have to be a group, you have to be a strong group.”