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10 hours ago
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England's Trent Alexander-Arnold, centre, shoots the ball during the UEFA Nations League Group F soccer match between England and Greece at Wembley Stadium in London, on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo)
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s omission from Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Oviedo in the La Liga was followed by German manager Thomas Tuchel not naming the right-back for his compact 23-member squad for two World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. The former Liverpool player is now finding game time tough for both club and country with the World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico less than a year away.
“We decided for a tighter, more competitive squad. We didn’t use all 23 players. There is no doubt I am a big fan of Trent and Jack Grealish,” said Tuchel after announcing the squad, according to BBC Sport.
“Big players and big personalities, always in the mix. I know both are desperate but in this camp we decided for Reece James and [Tino] Livramento in Trent’s position, and in Jack’s position Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze, simply for competition.
Tuchel has in the past spoken about the right-back’s inability to be a defensive presence, a point that could be a factor in his England omission.
“I can see that sometimes he relies heavily on his offensive contributions and gives not so much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort,” said Tuchel. “This major impact that he had for Liverpool over so many years… if he wants to have this impact in the English national team then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously.
In the past Arnold has been accused of defensive errors and lapses in concentration that have led to goals being scored against his team. Tuchel alluded to the same back in June when he spoke specifically about this issue with Arnold and said, “Because when we are talking, especially about qualifying football, and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100% awake, can be decisive. It can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home.”
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