Trent Alexander-Arnold’s season has taken another hit after being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
The 26-year-old, who made a high-profile switch from Liverpool to Real Madrid this summer, has endured a rocky beginning in Spain. He was subbed off after just 68 minutes of his La Liga debut against Osasuna and dropped to the bench in the following match against Oviedo.
Now, with Tuchel overlooking him for the national team, Alexander-Arnold finds himself battling for relevance both at club and international level. The England coach has long voiced concerns over the defender’s positioning and discipline at the back, even preferring to deploy midfielder Curtis Jones as a right-back in June’s qualifier against Andorra. On that occasion, Alexander-Arnold was limited to a late cameo and then did not feature at all in the friendly defeat to Senegal.
When pressed on the latest omissions of both Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish, Tuchel explained:
“We’ve opted for a tighter, more competitive squad. Trent and Jack are outstanding players with big personalities, but in this camp we’ve chosen Reece James and Tino Livramento at right-back, and Rashford and Eze in Jack’s role. The competition level is extremely high.”
Tuchel had already signalled his doubts earlier this year, stressing that Alexander-Arnold must take his defensive duties “very, very seriously” if he is to have the same influence with England that he once had at Liverpool.
“Tournament football is ruthless,” Tuchel warned. “One lapse in concentration, one mistake, and it can be the difference between going through or going home.”
For Alexander-Arnold, the message could not be clearer: unless he adapts quickly, both his Real Madrid dream and his England ambitions may be slipping away.
