Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is the latest blow to his stalled international career and casts huge doubts over his World Cup hopes.
Head coach Tuchel said on Friday he had “yet” to speak to the 27-year-old about his exclusion, with the full-back now on his fourth consecutive absence from the squad.
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Alexander-Arnold returns to Real Madrid after injury but did not make the 35-man squad for the final international training camp before Tuchel finalizes his squad for this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
With Chelsea’s Reece James – England’s first-choice right-back under Tuchel – missing the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan from March 27-31, many believe Alexander-Arnold is almost certain to be included in the squad for the first time since June 2025.
Despite playing for Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League and with England stalwarts Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier having retired, the former Liverpool defender has found himself left out of the squad for at least five other players.
So what went wrong?
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Players in front of Alexander-Arnold
Tuchel made clear his love for the physical side of English football while also wanting a solid backline, naming Jarrell Quasa, Jed Spence and Tino Liveramento as players ahead of Alexander-Arnold.
Although Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa plays primarily at centre-back, he was also an option at right-back during October’s comfortable win over Wales.
“It’s a slightly different situation,” Tuchel said when asked by BBC Sport what the other players brought to the table.
“It’s not something Trent can’t offer us. I know exactly what Trent can offer us.
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“It pained me when he played against my team at Liverpool. I knew his strengths very well and what he could give.”
Liveramento came on in the second half of Newcastle United’s 7-2 defeat to Barcelona in Wednesday’s Champions League second leg, but he has already impressed the England boss.
Tuchel is very particular about his players receiving “credit” for everything they have done before him, and Livramento’s performance in England’s 5-0 win away to Serbia was arguably his most impressive performance in charge.
The German added: “It was a sporting decision that we insisted on playing Coussa, Liveramento and Spence, who are all available at right-back in the training camp.”
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“We have evidence of how good we performed in September, October and November, and the players in training camp have to fight for their ticket. They have to prove again that they deserve this spot.”
Trent’s England career stalls
Alexander-Arnold scores four goals for England [Getty Images]
When Alexander-Arnold was at Liverpool, it was difficult to imagine the defender not being included in a traditional 26-man squad, let alone one that expanded to 35.
But his last appearance in 34 international caps came as a substitute in a disappointing 1-0 win over Andorra, with Tuchel opting to start Curtis Jones at right-back.
He has not been selected by England managers since.
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This won’t be a huge shock for Alexander-Arnold, who has made just one appearance in Tuchel’s 10 games in charge.
But it will leave him thinking about what his best performance for England might be when Lee Carsley takes over as interim manager.
Alexander-Arnold started Carsley’s first four games in charge as England returned to the top flight of the Nations League.
The defender scored a free kick as England beat Finland 3-1 in Helsinki. He played at left-back in that game, but missed the final two games of the National League due to a hamstring injury.
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Alexander-Arnold also never quite succeeded under Gareth Southgate.
The former England boss never fully trusted his defensive abilities, with Southgate bringing Alexander-Arnold into midfield at Euro 2024 but abandoning the No.8’s attempts after just two group games.
But Alexander-Arnold did have his best moment in an England shirt at that World Cup, when he scored the winning penalty against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
Real Madrid’s injury situation
Trent Alexander-Arnold joins Real Madrid in time for Club World Cup [Getty Images]
Alexander-Arnold made a high-profile move from boyhood club Liverpool to European giants Real Madrid last summer, but the transfer didn’t quite go to plan.
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He featured in the Club World Cup for Madrid but his first full season was hampered by hamstring and thigh injuries and the manager who signed him, Xabi Alonso, was sacked.
The two injuries sidelined him for about two months each, limiting his ability to get into form and find his groove.
He has started five of Real Madrid’s first six games and is competing with Real Madrid legend Dani Carvajal for the spot.
His current manager Alvaro Arbeloa has spoken of how Real Madrid will “carefully and calmly deal” with Alexander-Arnold following his injury. The defender returned to the first team in February.
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He started in the Champions League knockout games against Benfica and Manchester City, suggesting he could eventually make his mark as a right-back.
He also hopes he can play an important role in Real Madrid’s bid for the La Liga title. They are currently in second place, four points behind leaders Barcelona.
However, due to his poor season, Tuchel has previously stated that Alexander-Arnold is “heavily reliant on his offensive contributions and less on defensive discipline and effort”, which is always a tough ask.
Are Alexander-Arnold’s hopes dashed?
“No,” Tuchel said when asked if Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup hopes were over. “I know this is a tough decision for Trent. These tough decisions come with the job.
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“I know it’s tough, I know this is a big name, a great talent, a great career. I feel like I know what Trent can bring to us and decided to still stick with the players we train with.”
Tuchel said during his last international training camp in November that he would visit Alexander-Arnold in Madrid, but that didn’t seem to help.
The England manager last year mentioned Leverkusen defender Jarrell Quansah, Alexander-Arnold’s former Liverpool team-mate, as “a little bit ahead” due to his performances and the fact that “he’s tall, he’s quick, he’s very organized, he’s very good in the air”.
Tuchel continues to provide England with strong defenders and strong movement, while Cousa can also play at centre-back, adding another obstacle to Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup journey.
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While Tuchel hasn’t completely closed the door, all these factors suggest Alexander-Arnold is unlikely to be part of the World Cup squad as the England men’s team attempt to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.