Shearer suggests Alexander-Arnold bad apple theory after savage England snub | OneFootball

Alan Shearer has suggested Thomas Tuchel left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his latest England squad as the right-back could be a bad influence on the team, though Gary Lineker thinks this theory is ‘bizarre’.

On Friday, Tuchel named his 35-man England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, which had notable inclusions such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Garner and Jason Steele. However, Real Madrid star Alexander-Arnold was absent for the fourth squad in a row.

His previous exclusions could largely be explained by injuries and a difficult start to life at Madrid, but Alexander-Arnold has been back playing for Los Blancos since early February.

Tuchel has instead opted to rely on fellow right-backs Tino Livramento and Djed Spence, throwing Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup chances into major doubt. The fact Ben White has been named in Tuchel’s squad as a replacement for Jarell Quansah is the ultimate kick in the teeth for Alexander-Arnold.

On The Rest Is Football, Lineker explained why Tuchel not utilising the former Liverpool star is a mistake, before Shearer’s own theory involving Jude Bellingham emerged.

“There were rumors, I think in Marca, the newspaper there ran it, that he was late for one of the training sessions toward the end of this week, and that’s why he didn’t start [against Atletico Madrid],” Lineker said.

“Now, I don’t know if that’s true, but that’s what Marca says.

“But for me, looking at the squad and the fact that he’s not put him in this squad when he’s obviously been playing a bit now in Real Madrid, it suggests to me that Tuchel’s not having him.

“If he suddenly plays brilliantly and they go on and win the Champions League and stuff, he’ll probably be forced to put him in.

“But what I will say, I think without Trent it lessens your chances [of winning the World Cup] slightly, very slightly, like half a percent, whatever.

“If you’re 15 minutes to go and you’re playing in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, or the semifinals, and you’re one-nil down, and he was on the bench, and you could put on that delivery and that passing ability, something completely different, I can’t see why you wouldn’t want that asset even if you don’t see him as a starter because you’re worried about him defensively.

“That would be my point, and I know I’m a huge Trent fan; he’s given me a lot of joy watching him play, and his passing and his crossing over the years.”

Shearer responded: “Jude Bellingham and Trent are a pretty powerful couple. Would there be a point in Tuchel’s mind where he thinks that if those two together are not going to play, either of them or one of them or one of the other, then they have an influence on the squad?”

To which Lineker replied: “I think that would be bizarre. What I will say, what he might be thinking, is that he left Bellingham out, didn’t he, in the previous squad, maybe to send a message, maybe he’s leaving Trent out just to send another message.

“But we’re getting quite close to the competition now. I don’t know, I don’t know whether they’re problematic people to have in your side; what I do know is that they’re two unbelievably talented and brilliant footballers that have delivered over recent seasons.

“It’s impossible for us to know what the connection is or lack of connection between Tuchel and those players, what he thinks. There’s only one man who decides; he picks the squad, it’s up to him.”