Thomas Tuchel explains ‘tough’ Alexander-Arnold decision: ‘I know what Trent can offer us’ | OneFootball

England manager Thomas Tuchel says he “knows what Trent Alexander-Arnold can give us” but still opted to select other right-backs for his latest squad ahead of the World Cup.

With Chelsea captain Reece James injured, Tuchel named Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah in his enlarged 35-player group for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

Tuchel said the omission of Alexander-Arnold was “tough” - but the Real Madrid defender has played just once under the England manager and his chances of going to the World Cup now appear slim.

open image in gallery

Alexander-Arnold was a high-profile omission from Tuchel’s expanded squad (Getty Images)

Ollie Watkins, Luke Shaw and Morgan Gibbs-White were also left out of the expanded 35-player squad, with Tuchel confirming that a group of 11 players, including Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, will only come into camp following the first friendly against Uruguay next Friday.

But Alexander-Arnold will not be part of Tuchel’s rotation and the England manager said: “I know very well what Trent can offer us. I played many times against him and suffered when he played against my teams with Liverpool. So I know very well about his strength and what he can give.

”But at the moment it is like we have evidence how good we were in September, October, November, and the players who are in camp for right full-back, they have to push for their ticket, they have to compete, they have to show again that they deserve this.”

Tuchel believes Livramento, Spence and Quansah offer a “slightly different profile” and said Alexander-Arnold’s omission was based on the trio’s performances in the World Cup qualifiers rather than “anything to do with what Trent cannot offer us”.

“I know that it's a tough decision for Trent as it is for Ollie Watkins at the moment and for Luke Shaw,” Tuchel said. “These tough decisions come with the job. It is a sporting decision.

“It is a sporting decision that we stick with Quansah, with Livramento and with Spence. It is a decision for Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who I don't know as well as I know, for example, Ollie Watkins.

”I feel I have a very clear picture of what Ollie can give us. I saw him in tournaments. I saw him with us in qualifying football, so I want to have a look at two other players to get a better picture and have a clearer opinion.

“I know it's a tough one. I know it's a big name. I think it's a huge talent and with a big career, but I feel that I know what Trent can give us and decided still to stick to the players who were in camp.”

Meanwhile, Tuchel has confirmed that he will “split” his latest England squad and allow 11 players to arrive to the camp late in order to offer some of his leading stars a “break” before the business end of the club season.

Tuchel explained that captain Kane, Saka, Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Elliott Anderson, Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Dean Henderson will miss England’s first friendly against Uruguay next Friday and will only join his squad ahead of the Japan game.

open image in gallery

Tuchel said many of his players who featured in World Cup qualifying have ‘credit’ and have earned a break (The FA via Getty Images)

“These guys have played 3,500 minutes, some 4,000 minutes [this season],” Tuchel said. “More important than the pure number of minutes is some of these guys have played more minutes than the whole of last season.

“All of these players have contributed in September, October and November. They have credit with me. To give them a break mentally and physically, we will benefit from it.”

It bodes well for all 11 players that they will be on Tuchel’s plane for the World Cup, with the England manager taking a “unique” approach to the upcoming international break by announcing an expanded squad of 35 and dividing the camp into two parts.

“The reality of the March camp is that players, our players are in a crucial moment in the club football season,” Tuchel said. “They fight for titles. They fight a relegation battle. They are involved in knockout matches, in cup matches, so it is a crucial moment of the season, a very stressful moment of the season for them.

“But it is also our last camp [before the World Cup], the last opportunity to impress, the last opportunity for players to compete for their ticket. So it is a bit of a mix of motives.”

Tuchel also confirmed that he take a different approach to the No 10 position, which is the most competitive area for selection. He said Cole Palmer and Phil Foden will be competing for minutes in the Uruguay game, with Rogers, Jude Bellingham and Eberechi Eze given the opportunity for the Japan friendly three days later.

open image in gallery

Tuchel said Foden and Palmer will audition in the No 10 role against Uruguay (The FA via Getty Images)

“I think we need clarity around every position,” Tuchel said. “I think it will be very unlikely that we bring three, four, five players for one position into camp or into the World Cup. I think this will just confuse everyone.

“Of course, if you have the choice between world-class players in the No 10 position, at some point we will have to make tough calls, but now it's it's about camp.

“In the first part of the camp it's Cole Palmer and Phil Foden. In the second part of the camp, it will be then Jude, Morgan and Eze, who is always in the mix for any for any position in the No 10 and on the wing.

“The competition is on, but we will also share it in bites that we have two players for one game competing. Then it's on the players to show their quality. Then it's on me to take a decision.”