Thomas Tuchel has revealed he left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of England’s starting line-up due to the distraction of his move to Real Madrid.
Having had his exit from Liverpool and move to Real Madrid confirmed, Alexander-Arnold linked up with the Three Lions for his first tast of life under Tuchel, having missed the German’s first games in charge earlier in the year.
The former Reds vice-captain though was named on the bench for both the World Cup qualifier against Andorra and Tuesday’s friendly defeat to Senegal, with his only appearance coming in the former as played for just under 30 minutes.
Former Liverpool teammate Curtis Jones and Manchester City’s Kyle Walker were preferred at right-back in each game, raising yet more questions about Alexander-Arnold’s position within the England setup.
The 26-year-old has struggled to make any impact on the international stage during his career, despite his success at Liverpool, with Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate generally siding with Walker or Kieran Trippier during his time in charge.
Thomas Tuchel, Head Coach of England, speaks to the media in a press conference during a stadium walk around on June 06, 2025 in Girona, Spain.
Thomas Tuchel has suggested Trent Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid was a distraction (Image: Judit Cartiel, Getty Images)
Tuchel though has dismissed any suggestions he has already made his mind up on Alexander-Arnold, insisting that his impending move to Madrid was behind his decision, with the former Liverpool star set to be unveiled at the Bernabeu.
“Like every other player, he needs to play and get minutes, and be competitive on the highest level. It’s easy as that,” Tuchel said.
“There was a lot going on for Trent in the last weeks. Even now with change of city, change of environment, change of country, change of club. Let’s see.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Fanatics Official Sports Apparel — Liverpool
“I wish him all the best and he was in camp and like every other player be there, be competitive, find your place, keep your place, and be ready for nomination in September.
“Trent is Trent. He’s a special player, it makes not so much sense to focus on a part of his game that’s not his strength. We all know what he can give to a team. If he steps up to his highest level he will always be in contention for nomination.”
Liverpool.com says: That sounds like a very convenient excuse for Tuchel. You could perhaps understand it if England had been playing a big team like France or Spain, but Andorra? Real Madrid can’t have been that big a distraction.
If Alexander-Arnold really was that distracted, then he shouldn’t have been in the squad in the first place. Whatever way you look at it, it’s not an encouraging sign for the former Liverpool man.