Thomas Tuchel has admitted he cannot stop England's players from being targeted by racist abuse online during the World Cup, urging his squad to stay away from social media throughout the tournament.The England manager made the candid admission ahead of Wednesday's opening Group L clash with Croatia, acknowledging that the modern digital landscape makes it impossible to completely shield players from abuse.Tuchel's comments come with England once again among the favourites to challenge for World Cup glory, placing his players under intense scrutiny both on and off the pitch.The German believes avoiding social media altogether would be the healthiest option for his squad, but accepts that such an approach is unrealistic in 2026.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour Say"I cannot protect them from social media abuse," Tuchel admitted to Sky News."I would love to protect them and switch off all their phones... that is a solution, but that is maybe not the solution."England players have previously been subjected to online abuse during major tournaments, particularly after high-profile matches and penalty shootouts.One such example came at the Euro 2020 final in 2021, where Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were targeted online after missing against Italy in the penalty shootout.With the Three Lions preparing to begin another World Cup campaign under huge pressure, Tuchel acknowledged the challenge facing both players and football authorities."The healthy thing would be that we just turn all the stuff off, but it's not happening in 2026 with the young guys," he said.Rather than imposing a blanket ban on phones or social media platforms, Tuchel has instead urged his players to make sensible decisions themselves.The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss revealed he has personally advised members of his squad to avoid reading online comments while the tournament is ongoing.LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Emma Hayes makes immigration comment after Cape Verde stun Spain at World CupEmma Raducanu spotted kissing PR executive hours after Queen's Club final heartbreakHarry Maguire makes England retirement announcement after painful World Cup snubInstead, England's support staff and the Football Association will continue working behind the scenes to protect players from harmful content."But the FA is doing everything to protect them and help them," Tuchel explained."Me, personally, I can't I just recommend to not do it."The Football Association has increased efforts in recent years to tackle online abuse, working alongside social media companies, the authorities and specialist support teams.Measures include monitoring abusive content, reporting offenders and providing mental health support to players who become targets.However, Tuchel accepts there is only so much that can be done.His focus remains on ensuring his players are mentally prepared for the challenges of a World Cup campaign rather than becoming distracted by events online.England's tournament begins against Croatia in Dallas before further group stage matches against Ghana and Panama.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter