Thomas Tuchel, the head coach of the England national team, took his squad to the Spanish Grand Prix for a team-building experience on Sunday. The injured defender John Stones has been incorporated into the squad for this trip.

The England team has entered Catalonia, where they will train and prepare for the upcoming week, culminating in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Saturday at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium.

The visit to the Circuit de Barcelona for the Formula 1 event is part of a series of activities organized to enhance team spirit, as Tuchel aims to strengthen camaraderie within the group.

Stones expressed a desire to participate, and the Manchester City defender will continue his rehabilitation from a thigh injury that ended his season in mid-February, while working alongside the national team’s medical personnel.

Although the 31-year-old was not included in Tuchel’s first squad selection in March and will not play against Andorra or in the friendly match against Senegal on June 10 at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, his presence is deemed important for team cohesion.

This opportunity allows Stones to familiarize himself with Tuchel’s coaching style ahead of the World Cup next summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a tournament which the FA has tasked the German coach to conquer.

With some of the squad’s experienced players sidelined, England’s defensive lineup for the upcoming matches includes relatively new faces such as Dan Burn from Newcastle United, Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill, as well as Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.

Marc Guéhi is absent due to an injury sustained during Crystal Palace’s successful FA Cup final against Manchester City, and Manchester United’s Harry Maguire has also been left out.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, recently signed with Real Madrid, is part of Tuchel’s squad. He also missed the March victories over Latvia and Albania due to injury.

The former Liverpool right-back is also an investor in the Alpine F1 team.