Konsa earns starting XI role with Rashford for England under Tuchel | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel has done Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa justice. Needing a strong center-back in his system, the German manager is pairing Dan Burn with the AVFC CB for his opening back four. Most thought that this would be the case in front of Jordan Pickford. At the national team level, however, the clear-cut choice and best available option don't always happen.

Supporters of the Three Lions will be eager to see their team keep a clean sheet against Albania. With the Villa defender, this is much more of a likelihood. Getting a result here and against Latvia is one thing. England supporters will want to see a clean performance and a relatively stress-free outing from this top-tier side, though.

In a relatively straightforward Group K, this English roster should be able to avoid the World Cup playoffs by finishing atop the standings in their respective qualifying company. It all starts during this international break by taking care of business at Wembley.

It's clear as to why Tuchel is entrusting the defending duties to Konsa. This will, furthermore, mark his 10th cap for England. As shared on X by Aston Villa Statto, this is the 15th Aston Villa player to earn this designation.

Very little is cemented in stone at this point, but considering it's the first chance for Tuchel to publicly give fans a glimpse of his thoughts on the current squad, it appears that the starting role is Konsa's to lose.

Other notable Aston Villa inclusion

AVFC fans will know that the 27-year-old can be trusted and isn't likely to earn his spot. Marcus Rashford also gets to line up from the opening whistle with his club teammate and countryman. This too shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone monitoring the attacker's situation. Tuchel has been vocal about his praise for the player currently on loan from Manchester United. The once-exiled England member appears to be solidly back in the fold.

He and Konsa will look to impress the new manager and continue to reward Tuchel's trust. A win against their upcoming opponents won't be the end-all for English supporters. Getting off on the right foot would do a lot to help quiet past angst over past performances from this team, however.