Thomas Tuchel drops Trent Alexander-Arnold from England squad for World Cup qualifiers: But why?
Here is why England manager Thomas Tuchel has dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold from the squad for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, following his recent benching at Real Madrid.
Last Updated: 09.22 PM, Aug 29, 2025
England manager Thomas Tuchel has made a surprising decision by dropping Trent Alexander-Arnold from the latest England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. This move comes shortly after Alexander-Arnold lost his place in the Real Madrid starting lineup following his transfer to the Spanish giants.
Rashford in, Trent out
In contrast, there is a notable recall for Marcus Rashford, currently on loan at Barcelona, signaling Tuchel's preference for players with regular playing time and form.
Several high-profile players, including Kyle Walker, Conor Gallagher, and Ivan Toney, have also been excluded after participating in the underwhelming June camp, which saw England scrape a narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra and suffer a surprising home loss to Senegal.
Tuchel wants “fresh blood”
Tuchel has emphasized the need for "fresh blood" and more energy in the squad, which was missing in recent matches. To that end, promising youngsters like Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence have received their first senior call-ups, while other young talents such as Tino Livramento and Adam Wharton are included as well.
Tuchel speaks about the reason for leaving Trent and Grealish out
Addressing Alexander-Arnold’s absence specifically, Tuchel said: "There is no doubt I’m a big fan of Trent and Jack [Grealish], of their talent and personalities. They will always be big players and in the mix to be called up. I know both are desperate to come back. But for this camp, we decided on Reece [James] and Tino [Livramento], and on Jack’s position Rashy [Marcus Rashford], Anthony [Gordon], and Ebs [Eze]."
Tuchel also highlighted the challenges players face when adjusting to new clubs and leagues, pointing out that both Alexander-Arnold and Grealish are starting afresh and need time to regain rhythm and confidence.
Maguire and Foden were also dropped
Other notable absences in the current selection include Harry Maguire and Phil Foden, while senior players Marc Guehi, John Stones, Jarrod Bowen, and Ollie Watkins return after missing the previous camp.
England squad in full
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)