Thomas Tuchel snubbing Trent Alexander-Arnold will hurt - but it's hardly a surprise

Wembley, Friday evening. Thomas Tuchel faced the cameras and, with customary politeness, delivered the news Trent Alexander-Arnold dreaded: the Real Madrid right-back has not even made the 35-man provisional squad for England’s March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. In the language of international football, that omission is tantamount to a red flashing light ahead of the World Cup finals in the United States this summer.

Tuchel insisted the door is “not closed”, praising Alexander-Arnold as “a huge talent” whose qualities had caused the coach “suffering” when his previous clubs met Liverpool. Yet the subtext was unmistakable: the 27-year-old, capped 22 times, is on the outside looking in, and time is running out to change the narrative.

The numbers are stark. Since Tuchel took the England reins in January 2025, Alexander-Arnold has played only 27 minutes for his country — a late cameo in a 1-0 win over Andorra last June. A combination of injury and what the German terms “competitive decisions” have kept him out of every subsequent gathering. March 2025 is no different; Tuchel has opted to continue with Jarell Quansah, Tino Livramento and Djed Spence, the trio who impressed in last autumn’s camps, while Reece James — the acknowledged first-choice when fit — misses out again with a hamstring problem.

Asked to explain, Tuchel replied: “It is more to do with the evidence that we have, that we were good in September, October and November, than it has anything to do with what Trent can offer us.” Translation: the coaching staff know the player’s gifts, but they also know his defensive diligence remains a live debate. During the June camp Tuchel publicly urged Alexander-Arnold to “take the defensive part very, very seriously”. Four months later the player was left out of the September squad. The cycle has repeated itself.

The timing could scarcely be crueller. These two Wembley fixtures represent England’s final competitive auditions before Tuchel names his World Cup squad at the end of May. The coach has even restructured the camp to maximise evaluation: an initial “Possibles” group of 23 will face Uruguay on 27 March; 11 “Probables” will then arrive for the Japan match four days later. Alexander-Arnold is not in either tranche.

Parallel stories apply to Luke Shaw and Ollie Watkins, both of whom have also been excluded, yet the Alexander-Arnold narrative carries extra weight. With Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier retired from international duty and Ben White unavailable since Qatar 2022, the path to become Kyle Walker’s de facto successor has rarely been clearer. Instead, Quansah, Livramento and Spence — none older than 23 — have leapfrogged a player who is now a La Liga regular at the Bernabéu.

Privately, Alexander-Arnold is said to be “desperate and keen” to return, but Tuchel revealed he has not yet spoken to him about the latest omission. By contrast, the coach did call Shaw, who, according to Tuchel, feels the decision is “slightly unfair”. The left-back’s frustration is echoed in many quarters, yet Tuchel shows no sign of deviating from his core principle: he selects for balance, not for stardust.

“We don’t collect the most talented players,” Tuchel reiterated on Friday, a line he first used when leaving out Jude Bellingham last October before recalling him in November once tactical tweaks were secured. Whether a similar reprieve awaits Alexander-Arnold before the plane departs for Florida in June remains doubtful. For a footballer who adores representing his country, the next two months at Real Madrid have become an audition broadcast only to the watching Tuchel. Fail to impress, and one of England’s most recognisable names will be watching the World Cup from his living-room sofa.

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