Thomas Tuchel has suggested Manchester City's England contingent are worried about the club being found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.
Tuchel, who said he would be prepared to keep picking City players if they were relegated, revealed the case had been a major topic of conversation in the England camp before the Nations League game against Croatia. The head coach said there had been discussions during meals and delivered an honest response after being asked whether the situation had become a distraction.
"If I say now it's not then I can just speak for myself, which would be totally narrow-minded," Tuchel said. "I think it is a distraction. It is. Let's say it is a subject. If it's a distraction, I don't know.
"It is of course a topic and we speak about it at dinner and at a table of eight or 12 people. We speak about it at breakfast. I know the Man City players get a lot of messages and phone calls and feedback about it.
"Are they worried or concerned? I think that would be a very human reaction if you don't know what's going on for the club that you signed. They're still young. They're ambitious. They're told they are totally innocent and don't know what's going on. It is a subject.
"I am again not sure if it's a distraction. I don't see it when I see them in my meetings. I don't see it how they behave with other teammates, and I don't see it in training being a distraction. But it's a topic. How can't it be?"
The Football Association blocked a subsequent question to Tuchel on whether the City case represented a danger to English football. City maintain their innocence and on Friday announced an appeal against the verdict.
For Tuchel, the focus is on his squad. He selected three City players for this camp: Elliot Anderson, Marc Guéhi and Nico O'Reilly, who has withdrawn injured. Guéhi made a costly error during last weekend's defeat by Spain and Anderson was off colour during the win over Czechia last Tuesday but Tuchel believes both are ready to start against Croatia on Saturday night.
England are second in Group A3 with three points from two games. Jordan Pickford, who remains the No 1, will replace James Trafford in goal and Tuchel must decide whether to restore Jarell Quansah at right-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold shone against Czechia in Prague.
Alexander-Arnold was an unused substitute when England drew in Rijeka in 2018. His place remains uncertain and Tuchel considered whether it was now or never for the Real Madrid defender, who turns 28 next week.
"Maybe, maybe a little bit," he said. "Once you are in camp it's a big opportunity if other players are not here. Trent is a unique player. He is not a runner, he is not someone who runs through the last line, who does overlaps, underlaps."
Tuchel explained that Alexander-Arnold is building a connection with Bukayo Saka. "Bukayo is normally used to a lot of movements around him," he said. "That brings normally the best out of Bukayo. They need also to find a way to not be too static, to not be too ball-position focused and that we play with dynamic movement. That's maybe the challenge for Trent: to buy a little bit into a new idea and a bit out of his comfort zone. He's trying and it's never too late to prove a point."
Tuchel is happy with Saka's level. The Arsenal winger struggled with fitness during the World Cup but has been a regular for his club this season.
"He had a strong start," Tuchel said. "I could see he was pain free. He had a bit of a strange ending to last season. He was playing through the pain, he was deciding matches but struggling to have big influence – and yet then having the biggest influence, by scoring decisive goals.
"He scored decisive goals without being fit and without having the capability to accelerate and decelerate Now I felt him more involved, and felt he was more dangerous at the start of the season – and still I think there is some level still to come when he plays for England."