Gareth Southgate has explained his decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his England squad for the the upcoming fixtures against Italy and Ukraine.
The Liverpool full-back has been on the receiving end of criticism this season following a number of questionable performances for Jurgen Klopp’s side while his display against Real Madrid last night did very little to silence his critics.
The 24-year-old has reinvented the right back position in recent years and although he’s already won every major trophy possible at club level, he won’t be adding to his 18 senior England caps during the upcoming international break after being omitted by Southgate – a decision the Three Lions boss was keen to explain.
“It’s similar with Ben [White] and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] really, the three boys who are in as right full-backs we’ve got them just ahead of those two,” Southgate said (via Football365).
“We’re blessed in that position with the depth of talent. It’s the hardest position to pick, albeit it’s never straightforward criteria and it’s always shifting around a little bit on form as well.
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“But Kyle [Walker] and Tripps [Trippier] were obviously the ones who played during the World Cup, started the games during the World Cup, have been consistent, and Reece coming back is another top player.
“We’ve love to have that depth in every position on the field.”
England do have some quality players operating in the same position as our No. 66 and based on recent performances Trent can’t really have any complaints.
There’s no denying that he’s a quality player and he still has a bright future ahead of him at Liverpool and with the national team, but his defensive ability does need to improve.
Southgate has deployed the Scouser in a midfield role previously, something which bemused Klopp, but is the middle of the park where Alexander-Arnold’s future lies?
We understand that Liverpool’s full-backs are regularly spotted high up in the opposition’s half, but the Academy graduate’s unbelievable passing ability and great dribbling could mean he thrives in a more central role further upfield.
Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson has been included in Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming EURO 2024 qualifiers.