Manager Thomas Tuchel has a big decision to make when it comes to selecting players to carry England’s World Cup hopes. Many of the country’s biggest names, including Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford, Mark Guehi and Declan Rice, are essentially guaranteed a spot on the plane. For others, it will be a nervous wait to find out if they pass.
Questions remain over the call-up of players such as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, who have been comfortable with deception in the Premier League this season. Trent Alexander-Arnold also falls into that category, and has struggled to make an impact since joining Real Madrid in the summer. The former Liverpool defender is an interesting case and it remains to be seen whether he will be called up for the World Cup.
He has started just 14 league games for Real Madrid this season, with Dani Carvajal and Federico Valverde often preferred at right-back. However, the Englishman has recently been working to find his way into the competition, starting five of the club’s last six games.
Tino Libramento is also working hard to recover from a thigh problem he sustained in April and get fit for the summer. Reece James, on the other hand, is likely to be selected for England, although he remains injury-prone and will require quality cover.
The situation raises the possibility that Alexander-Arnold will be recalled despite being left out of the squad that faced Uruguay and Japan in the most recent international break.
Commenting on the decision at the time, Tuchel said: “We know what Trent can give us, so for Ben and Tino Libramento it was a choice to stick with the players who had a good camp in September, November and December. The same goes for Jed Spence.”
“We know there will be noise when you let a player like Trent leave. I got a call and tried to explain the situation. He has no choice but to accept.”
Alexander-Arnold was included in a provisional 55-man group submitted to FIFA last week, but that number will be reduced to just 26 when the final squad is announced on Friday.
Only time will tell whether he will be available, but England’s injury crisis at right-back seems to have further increased his chances of playing at the World Cup.
