Alexander-Arnold at centre of England fury as Tuchel faces backlash | Football | Sport

Former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has been left out of the England squad, leaving many fans scratching their heads in disbelief. The Three Lions are heading to the United States for this summer’s tournament, which is also being co-hosted by Canada and Mexico.

Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool last summer to seal a permanent switch to Real Madrid shortly before his contract at Anfield was due to run out. England manager Thomas Tuchel has announced the squad set to make the journey for this summer’s World Cup, but Alexander-Arnold has been notably absent from the selection.

No current Liverpool player has earned a place in the 26-man squad, though former Reds duo Jarell Quansah and Jordan Henderson will be boarding the plane and hoping to steer the Three Lions towards glory. Alexander-Arnold is not the only high-profile absentee from Tuchel’s squad, with Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Phil Foden (Manchester City) amongst those also overlooked.

Tuchel’s choice to omit Alexander-Arnold has sparked a wave of reaction across social media, with scores of supporters voicing their confusion. “Not every player has to be selected but Trent and [Harry] Maguire not going to the World Cup is a joke,” one fan wrote. Another fan added: “[Djed] Spence over Trent is outrageous.”

One more said: “I know Trent hasn’t been that great but how is Djed Spence whose team is about to get relegated ahead of him.” While another added: “Djed Spence over Trent is absolutely wild.”

Another fan said: “Leaving Trent, Foden and Palmer at home regardless of form is beyond silly,” while one more wrote: “Trent should’ve been in the team.” England will face New Zealand and Costa Rica in friendly matches next month before taking on Ghana, Panama and Croatia during the World Cup group stages.

Tuchel also opted against naming Alexander-Arnold in the 35-man squad for England’s friendly fixtures during the March international break. The Three Lions manager was pressed on Alexander-Arnold’s absence, and went on to explain his reasoning behind the decision.

“I think it’s a very hard decision that we took. No doubt about his talent, no doubt about his career and what he can give to teams,” Tuchel said of Alexander-Arnold in an interview with ITV back in March.

“We created a slightly different game model when he was not in camp in September, October, November. It was a game model built on intensity, built on positivity, built even in the profile of the right full back on overlaps on underlaps, very intense.

“So it was a slightly different profile of players who were with us in camp and who performed so well. We just stick to these guys that is on his back and maybe he was with us in June and he should have maybe deserved a second chance.

“It is a very hard decision. I’m aware of it, but yeah, he took it on his chin. He will keep on going. I will make sure that I see some matches from Real Madrid, maybe [in the] Champions League to get my last impressions.”