England Team: Was Tuchel Too Cruel with Arnold?

Coach Thomas Tuchel excluding Trent Alexander-Arnold from England's training camp will be hurtful but actually not too surprising.

Alexander-Arnold has lost his position at the national team level despite playing for one of the world's biggest clubs, Real Madrid.

Arnold Risks Missing the 2026 World Cup

Thomas Tuchel stated at the press conference at Wembley that there is still a chance for Trent Alexander-Arnold to return, the most notable name among the players absent from England's expanded 35-man squad for the friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan.

Tuchel praised Alexander-Arnold's talent and qualities extensively, emphasizing how teams he previously coached "suffered" whenever facing this defender over the years. However, unless there is a major turnaround in the next two months, Alexander-Arnold is likely to watch the World Cup from home on TV.

Being omitted from the list for this FIFA Day will be particularly painful for Alexander-Arnold for two simple reasons. First, these are England's last two matches before Thomas Tuchel announces the World Cup squad at the end of May. But the second reason is the head coach's completely different approach to this training camp compared to before.

He will start with a 23-player squad, which could be called the "probable" group, including some players who have never played for the national team like James Garner, James Trafford, along with notable recalled names such as Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Dominic Solanke, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. They will compete for starting spots in the match against Uruguay at Wembley (March 27).

After the first match, some players from the "probable" group will leave the team and be replaced by 11 players from the "almost certain" group. These are individuals who have played extensively this season and are likely to board the plane for the World Cup, such as Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Bukayo Saka… This will strengthen the lineup when facing Japan, also at Wembley (March 31).

This phased approach allows Tuchel the opportunity to evaluate more players than usual, preparing for the possibility that someone performs impressively enough to secure a World Cup spot this summer.

Therefore, if a player is not even included in the first group gathering next week, they can fully understand their position in Tuchel's thinking.

Why didn't Tuchel choose Arnold?

Previously, Alexander-Arnold often struggled to break into the England team due to fierce competition for his position. But with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker having retired from the national team, and Ben White not being called up since the 2022 World Cup, the competition for this spot has significantly decreased compared to a few years ago. Yet he still wasn't named in the squad.

The reality is that Alexander-Arnold has hardly been used under Tuchel since he took over the national team in early 2025. He only came off the bench in the hard-fought 1-0 win against Andorra in June 2025. That was also his only appearance under the German strategist.

The most notable aspect of the June training camp last year was Thomas Tuchel's declaration when announcing the squad that Trent Alexander-Arnold must "take the defensive aspect (of his play) very, very seriously" and cannot rely solely on what he does with the ball. Subsequently, Tuchel did not call up Alexander-Arnold in September 2025, calling it a "competitive decision."

According to writer Jonathan Wilson, Thomas Tuchel is shaping the England team according to his tactical vision, and the exclusion of Alexander-Arnold continues to demonstrate that the England coach prioritizes the system over individual ability.

"Tuchel doesn't select the better player or the one in better form, but chooses the one most suited to the role he envisions. That has been his consistent philosophy so far; clarity in tactical vision might be the greatest strength of both Tuchel and the England team," Jonathan Wilson asserted.

Meanwhile, journalist John Cross stated on Mirror's podcast that Tuchel dislikes the type of defender like Alexander-Arnold, particularly due to defensive limitations. Cross believes that although Tuchel says "the door is not closed," Trent's opportunity is essentially over.