Thomas Tuchel selected a 35-man squad for England’s upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, notably omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 27-year-old endured an injury-plagued start to his Real Madrid tenure in Spain but has since delivered consistent strong performances as a regular starter.

Tuchel Stands Firm on Squad Selection

Despite Alexander-Arnold’s recent form and Reece James’ injury absence, Tuchel opted against including him. When Jarrel Quansah withdrew due to injury, Tuchel called up Ben White instead. Other preferred right-backs include Tottenham’s Djed Spence and Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, with Ezri Konsa available as cover.

Alexander-Arnold’s Social Media Response

Following the snub, Alexander-Arnold shared Instagram photos from Real Madrid’s match against Atletico Madrid, captioned: ‘Madrid. And nothing else.’

Tuchel addressed the post directly, stating: “Well, fair enough, fair enough. I think it is a very hard decision that we took. No doubt about his talent, no doubt about his career and what he can give to teams.”

He explained the shift in England’s tactical approach: “We created a slightly different game model when he was not in camp in September, October, November – it was a game model that was built on intensity and positivity, built even on the profile of the right full back on overlaps, underlaps, very intense. It was a slightly different profile of players in camp who performed so well. We just stick to these guys.”

Direct Conversation with Alexander-Arnold

Tuchel disclosed having a phone call with Alexander-Arnold to clarify the decision. He added: “He was with us in June, he should have maybe deserved a second chance. It is a very hard decision, I am aware of it. I know it creates noise when you leave a player like Trent out. We had a call, I tried to explain the situation. He just has to accept it. It’s just a choice. A ‘sportive’ choice. A difficult choice and maybe a hard choice – and maybe to a certain degree unfair, but these choices have to be made.”

Tuchel emphasized continuity: “I think I know what Trent can give us, so the choice was for Ben (White) and for Tino Livramento, to stick with the guys who actually had good camps with us in September, November, December. They also need the minutes and there are a lot of good players for this position and Djed Spence as well, who fights for a ticket.”

He concluded positively: “He took it on his chin, he will keep on going, I will make sure I see some matches from Real Madrid and maybe a Champions League match live to get my last impressions. He is on a long list and everyone is still in the mix but at the moment some other guys are just ahead.”

Alexander-Arnold has featured in 21 Real Madrid matches this season, registering three assists but no goals yet.