Does Pickford finally face serious competition for his England place?

Tuchel has rotated Pickford and Leeds' Trafford in recent internationals, sparking debate about England's goalkeeping future as the 32-year-old faces his first real competition.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has begun rotating goalkeepers, giving Leeds United's James Trafford opportunities alongside long-time first choice Jordan Pickford in recent international matches. Pickford started against Spain and Croatia, while Trafford played in the 3-2 loss to Spain and victory against Czech Republic.

Tuchel has indicated he may continue rotating the pair in upcoming Nations League fixtures against Croatia at Wembley on Thursday and Spain in Madrid on Sunday.

Pickford remains Tuchel's undisputed number one, with an outstanding record: 93 appearances, 46 clean sheets, a 74% save ratio, and only two errors leading to goals. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Sport that Tuchel's strategy is sensible preparation for the future.

"We are so guilty as a nation of taking one goalkeeper to a tournament who has 70, 80, 90 caps, then two or three below him could have less than double figures combined," Robinson said. Trafford, 24, has only four caps with two competitive appearances, but the rotation gives him valuable experience.

Robinson stressed Pickford remains firmly England's first choice and faces no immediate threat, but the manager is building contingency planning for when age eventually catches up.