But is it a wise move to leave him at home? After all, England have never had a profile like Alexander-Arnold before, and that doesn’t mean he’ll be the first name on the team sheet at right-back (a fit Reece James has fixed it). But aren’t you on the team? Really, Thomas?
Liverpool’s ace at the time was a bit of a sell-off at the last Euros when manager Gareth Southgate used him in midfield for England’s first few games. This wasn’t an idea that came up completely out of thin air, as manager Jurgen Klopp has occasionally used Liverpool players in hybrid midfield roles.
But that didn’t work out and Alexander-Arnold’s minutes in an England shirt have been limited since then. He strengthened his strength by the time he returned to the team for the first few matches of the World Cup qualifiers, but an injury early in his career as a Real Madrid player caused him to miss the decisive qualifying matches.
But Alexander-Arnold has every right to feel sorry for himself, given that he is now feeling better and wants to take part in World Cup matches. That’s especially because James, the first-choice right-back, has been injured quite frequently, having missed an international tournament in March due to injury.
The horses may vary from track to track, but looking across England’s squad list it is hard to find many players with more experience and ability than Alexander-Arnold. Especially in this era of set-pieces, Tuchel and England will no doubt be looking to take advantage of set-pieces when the World Cup gets underway in June.
That’s before even mentioning the intense heat that is expected to affect the game. If the embers of a knockout tie are up against tired legs, who better than Alexander-Arnold to play passes behind wingers and strikers? Perhaps he can even create chances for his teammates from his own penalty area!
Tuchel does not need Alexander-Arnold to start, but if he wants to give England the best chance of winning the World Cup, his best bet would be to reverse the decision and reinstate him later this year.
