Thomas Tuchel Reflects on Trent Alexander-Arnold's England Exclusion

Thomas Tuchel admits it now. Leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of England squads – and ultimately out of a World Cup – was not entirely fair.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the England head coach offered a rare bit of self-critique as he revisited the calls that sidelined one of the country’s most gifted defenders for almost an entire year of his reign.

“Was it always fair? Maybe not from my side,” Tuchel said. “But if you remember, the next camp was September.”

Momentum over reputation

Since taking charge in October 2024, Tuchel had given Alexander-Arnold just 26 minutes – a late substitute outing against Andorra. After that, nothing. As England gathered momentum, the right-back simply fell out of the picture.

Tuchel pinned that on continuity. The team were winning, the mood was good, and he chose not to disturb a settled group.

“We were suddenly flying and we stuck to the same squad in October and that was it for him,” Tuchel admitted. “There was never a chance for him to come back whether that was [fair] or not. I just trusted the guys who were in camp.”

For Alexander-Arnold, the consequences were brutal: no route back, no World Cup, no chance to reset the narrative in an England shirt.

Club form forces the door open

This season, under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, the 25-year-old has finally found a way to drag the door open again. Three starts for Madrid have underlined his quality and sharpness, and Tuchel has responded by restoring him to the international fold for the latest camp.

The recall, though, comes with a warning label. A call-up, Tuchel stressed, is not a reward for past glories or a soft landing for star names. It is something to be earned every time.

“You don’t come to relax. You don’t come to take a break. You come to perform and it’s difficult to perform for England and the guys who perform now have our trust,” he said.

“And the guys who come new into camp, we demand the highest of them. It includes Trent but it’s not exclusively for him. It’s for everyone who comes to our camps.”

The message is clear: the door is open again, but only just. Walk through it, or it closes.

Nations League audition

Alexander-Arnold now faces a short, intense audition window. Training sessions in this camp will decide whether he is trusted from the start in the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, or left watching again.

England’s schedule offers no gentle reintroduction. World champions Spain arrive on Saturday, a test of nerve and tactical discipline as much as talent. Then comes a trip to Czechia, another tricky away assignment where lapses are punished.

For Tuchel, it is simple. Domestic form earned Alexander-Arnold a recall. International performances will decide if he stays. For the defender, the task is even clearer: prove that the Real Madrid version of Trent can finally become the England version Tuchel is willing to build around.