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Tuchel’s decision to opt for Chalobah at centre-back is further confirmation that Real Madrid’s Alexander-Arnold is out of the picture, rather than a natural replacement at the back.
Alexander-Arnold’s fate looked sealed until August when Tuchel left him out of the England squad. For the World Cup qualification with Andorra and Serbia.
This comes after Tuchel opted for Alexander-Arnold’s former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones as the central midfielder, who will start at right-back against Andorra in June.
Tuchel made clear his concerns about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive weakness: “If he wants to make that impact in the England national team, he needs to take his defense very, very seriously.”
Because when we’re talking about qualifying football, then a football tournament, one defensive mistake, one time when you’re not 100% activated, becomes crucial.
Packing his bags early to fly to England is not on Tuchel’s agenda – so one of the country’s most talented footballers will be overlooked again.
Alexander-Arnold was not included in Tuchel’s 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, again missing out as the manager looks for reinforcements.
Tuchel instead opted for Arsenal’s Ben White, who has been irregular at club level and has been in self-imposed England exile since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Alexander-Arnold made Tuchel’s provisional 55-man World Cup squad.
England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley, who has bridged the gap between Southgate’s departure and Tuchel’s appointment, is in stark contrast to the belief held by Alexander-Arnold.
Carsley played as a left-back in Finland’s 3–1 Nations League win in October 2024.
Alexander-Arnold has started four of six games under Carsley, but none of Tuchel’s 14 – those facts speak for themselves.
As a head coach trying to fine-tune team cohesion, was there a concern that having such a high-profile player on the sidelines might expose Alexander-Arnold to unintended distractions and distractions?
Alexander-Arnold’s recent rejection appears to be further evidence that he cannot return to England as long as Tuchel is in charge.
