Tuchel admits leaving out Alexander-Arnold is “perhaps unfair”

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·27. März 2026

Tuchel admits leaving out Alexander-Arnold is “perhaps unfair”

England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted that the decision not to call up right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for the friendlies during this FIFA window, against Uruguay and Japan, was not an easy one.

“It’s a sporting decision. A difficult one and, perhaps, to some extent, unfair,” the German coach said on Thursday when asked about the absence of the Real Madrid player, whose call-up for the World Cup now seems unlikely, as Tuchel is prioritizing Arsenal’s Ben White.

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“I know leaving out a player like Trent creates a lot of buzz. I had a conversation with him and tried to explain the situation. He simply has to accept it,” the coach noted.

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Ben White has been called back up to the England squad by Tuchel after a disagreement the player had with Steve Holland, assistant to previous manager Gareth Southgate.

“When I spoke to Ben and asked if he would be ready to play for me and for England, he told me, without hesitation, that he was eager to return. The answer came within seconds and was very positive, even euphoric. He showed me that he takes this very seriously,” he said.

The friendly against Uruguay should give Tuchel the opportunity to see two forwards in action, Dominic Solanke (Tottenham) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), who appear to be competing for the role of luxury backup to striker Harry Kane at the World Cup.

“It is important for both of them. They now have the chance to compete for a starting place and earn quality playing time,” Tuchel said.

*With content from AFP

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.