No Contact, No World Cup Place? What Went Wrong For Alexander-arnold?

By

Football newsman astatine Wembley Stadium

Trent Alexander-Arnold's omission from Thomas Tuchel's largest England squad is nan latest rustle to his stop-start world profession and casts immense uncertainty connected his hopes of playing astatine nan World Cup.

Head coach Tuchel said he has "not yet" spoken to nan 27-year-old astir his exclusion, pinch nan full-back now not selected for nan past 4 squads.

Alexander-Arnold is backmost playing for Real Madrid aft wounded but finds himself near retired of nan 35-man group for nan past world campy earlier Tuchel finalises his squad for this summer's tourney successful nan USA, Canada and Mexico.

With Chelsea's Reece James - England's first-choice right-back nether Tuchel - missing nan friends games against Uruguay and Japan connected 27 and 31 March, galore thought that Alexander-Arnold would beryllium a adjacent certainty to beryllium included for nan first clip since June 2025.

But contempt playing for Real Madrid successful nan knockout stages of nan Champions League and England stalwarts Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier being retired, nan erstwhile Liverpool defender finds himself retired of nan squad pinch astatine slightest 5 different players successful beforehand of him.

So what went wrong?

Tuchel, who has made clear his emotion of nan beingness quality of English shot alongside his want of a coagulated backline referenced Jarrell Quansah, Djed Spence and Tino Livramento arsenic nan players successful beforehand of Alexander-Arnold.

And though predominately a centre-back, Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa played astatine right-back successful nan comfortable triumph complete Wales successful October and is an action location too.

"A somewhat different profile," Tuchel said erstwhile asked by BBC Sport astir what nan different players bring.

"It's not what Trent cannot connection us. I cognize very good what Trent tin offer.

"I suffered erstwhile he played against my teams pinch Liverpool. I cognize very good astir his strengths and what he tin give."

Livramento played nan second-half of Newcastle's 7-2 conclusion by Barcelona successful nan 2nd limb of their Champions League necktie connected Wednesday, but he has already impressed nan England boss.

Tuchel is large connected players having "credit" for what they person antecedently done for him and Livramento played successful England's 5-0 distant triumph against Serbia, arguably nan astir awesome capacity since he took charge.

"It is simply a sporting determination that we instrumentality pinch Quansah, Livramento and Spence who each tin play successful campy successful nan correct full-back position," added nan German.

"We person grounds pinch really bully we were successful September, October and November and nan players who are successful campy person to push for their ticket. They person to show again that they merit this spot."

While Alexander-Arnold was astatine Liverpool, it was difficult to ideate a clip erstwhile nan defender would not beryllium successful a accepted 26-man squad, fto unsocial an expanded 35-man group.

But nan past of his 34 caps came arsenic a substitute during a disappointing 1-0 triumph complete Andorra pinch Tuchel opting to commencement that crippled pinch Curtis Jones astatine right-back.

And nan England leader has not selected him since.

It won't beryllium a immense daze to nan Alexander-Arnold, fixed he has featured conscionable erstwhile successful Tuchel's 10 games successful charge.

But it will make him deliberation what could person been aft arguably his champion tally successful an England broadside erstwhile Lee Carsley was nan England interim manager.

Alexander-Arnold started nan first 4 of Carsley's matches successful complaint arsenic England secured promotion backmost to nan apical section of nan Nations League.

The defender scored a free-kick arsenic England hit Finland 3-1 successful Helsinki. He played astatine left-back successful that crippled earlier a hamstring wounded meant he missed nan past 2 games of nan Nations League campaign.

It ne'er rather clicked for Alexander-Arnold nether Gareth Southgate either.

The erstwhile England head was ne'er afloat convinced astir his protect expertise and Southgate took Alexander-Arnold to Euro 2024 arsenic a midfield player, but abandoned nan number 8 research aft conscionable 2 group games.

But Alexander-Arnold did person arguably his champion infinitesimal successful an England garment successful that tournament, erstwhile he scored nan winning punishment against Switzerland successful nan quarter-finals.

Alexander-Arnold made a precocious floor plan move from boyhood nine Liverpool to European giants Real Madrid past summer, but nan transportation has not gone precisely to plan.

He played for Madrid successful nan Club World Cup, but his first afloat play has been hampered by hamstring and thigh injuries while Xabi Alonso, nan head who signed him has been sacked.

The 2 injuries, which kept him retired for astir 2 months each, person restricted his expertise to get into a travel and find his champion form.

He started 5 of Madrid's first six matches and is battling for nan position pinch Madrid fable Dani Carvajal.

His now head Alvaro Arbeloa said astir really Madrid were going to beryllium "proceeding cautiously and calmly" pinch Alexander-Arnold aft his wounded issues. The defender returned to first-team action successful February.

He started nan Champions League knockout games against Benfica and Manchester City successful a show that he is connected way to yet make nan right-back slot his own.

And he will besides dream that he could play a large portion arsenic Madrid push to effort to triumph nan La Liga title. They are presently second, 4 points down leaders Barcelona.

However, pinch his surgery play and Tuchel antecedently saying that Alexander-Arnold "relies heavy connected his violative contributions and gives not truthful overmuch accent connected nan protect subject and effort" it was ever going to beryllium a reliable ask.

"No," Tuchel said erstwhile asked if Alexander-Arnold's World Cup hopes are over. "I cognize it is simply a reliable determination for Trent. These reliable decisions travel pinch nan job.

"I cognize it's a reliable one, I cognize it's a large name, a immense talent pinch a large career. I consciousness I cognize what Trent tin springiness america and decided still to instrumentality to nan players successful campy pinch us."

Tuchel said during nan past world campy successful November that he would sojourn Alexander-Arnold successful Madrid but that hasn't seemed to help.

The England head referenced past twelvemonth really Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarrell Quansah, a erstwhile Liverpool team-mate of Alexander-Arnold, is "a mini spot ahead" owed to his performances and nan truth that "he is tall, he is fast, he is beardown successful build-up, he is beardown successful nan air".

Tuchel has continuously built his England squad pinch imposing defenders and beardown runners and pinch Quansah besides capable to play astatine centre-back, it has added different artifact connected Alexander-Arnold's way to nan World Cup.

And contempt Tuchel not wholly closing nan door, each of these factors make it look that Alexander-Arnold is improbable to beryllium portion of nan World Cup squad arsenic nan England men's broadside effort to triumph nan title for nan first clip since 1966.