Arsenal defender Miles Lewis-Skelly was in Thomas Tuchel’s squad during the October international break but will not feature in the Three Lions’ upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has suggested that Miles Lewis-Skelly’s lack of game time was a factor in him being left out of the Three Lions’ squad for the November international break. Lewis-Skelly was in excellent form for Arsenal last season, earning his first senior cap under Tuchel, but the teenager is one of a number of players left out of the latest selection.
The 19-year-old has struggled for minutes at club level this season, with Riccardo Calafiori overcoming last season’s injury troubles to remain a regular at left-back. His absence could give Manchester City star Nico O’Reilly the chance to make his senior debut against Serbia or Albania, as he is not the only player to miss out after being called up in October.
“Miles is a very good team-mate and he played for us in the final World Cup qualifying camp in Riga, as did Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Morgan Gibbs-White and James Trafford,” Tuchel told reporters. “But I said last time that there is an element of competition and performance to this and the door is always open to players who perform at a high level on a regular basis.
“Miles, Reuben and Morgan all performed better than Nico O’Reilly, Alex Scott, Nick Pope and Jude (Bellingham) at their respective positions. Miles needs more starts and more playing time. We’re at a point now where Nico O’Reilly is getting so many starts at that position that he’s got a slight lead in this camp.”
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has suggested the club will help give Louis-Skelly “perspective” after he was left out of England’s squad for November’s international tournament. Ahead of Arsenal’s weekend trip to Sunderland, Arteta was asked about his young players and acknowledged the situation facing them.
“Certainly, we are here to support, to help each other and to properly assess the situation,” Arteta told reporters on Friday when asked if he needed Lewis-Skelly to put his arm around him. “So don’t just look at one moment of what’s happening to you, because maybe today it’s happening for the right reasons.”
Lewis-Skelly has played just 86 minutes in the Premier League this season, but Arteta has given him more game time in other competitions. He played the entirety of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup games against Port Vale and Brighton, started twice in the Champions League and came on the bench in Tuesday’s win away to Slavia Prague.
“The standards are high and everyone wants to play. The level is so high this season that there is a lack of spots, but we just have to compete,” he said at the end of October.
“At the end of the day, I just want to express myself. Football is something I love and I don’t make excuses for whether I’m playing or not. I just want to go out and express myself. As long as I’m doing that, I’m giving the manager a choice.”
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