Thomas Tuchel has some tough decisions to make for England’s World Cup campaign — one of the more difficult being between Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
England have topped off a stellar qualifying campaign, maintaining their 100% win record against Albania on Sunday.
Now, all the focus will shift back to personnel decisions that need to be made between now and June. Tuchel has warned Cole Palmer about competition for a place in the 26-man squad, and that warning extends to all England hopefuls.
James won’t be concerned about getting a seat on the plane, but he will be competing with Real Madrid’s Alexander-Arnold for a starting role.
Gary Lineker makes his pick between Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold
It’s a fantastic spot for the national team to be in that world-class players will struggle for minutes at the World Cup.
For the manager, it means plenty of selection headaches. Darren Bent called Tuchel’s Palmer dilemma impossible, but that’s just one of the areas in which options are plentiful. At right-back, England have two elite options who offer very different skillsets in James and Alexander-Arnold.
The former is bang in form at Stamford Bridge, while the latter is struggling for minutes in the Spanish capital.
On the latest episode of The Rest Is Football, Shearer is quick to pick the Chelsea man for his England XI, and while Lineker agrees at this moment, he isn’t closing the door on the former Liverpool star.
He says: “I think he [James] would probably be the first choice at the moment.
“At the minute, Trent’s not getting much football, but Trent at his best is, I mean, what a player. Gives you different options.”
The beauty of the options is how different they are, and how much flexibility they give the German coach. But only one can play in any given game, and as it stands, James is the clear choice.
James and Alexander-Arnold could see plenty of rotation
Alexander-Arnold is one of the best passers of the ball in world football, and offers a unique skillset at right-back that few other teams can match.
But James is one of Chelsea’s most complete players, a monster on the defensive side and a technical attacking full-back who can pop up with important goals and assists. His leadership is also something that could tip the scales in his favour.
Different games have different needs. A group stage clash against a lesser side that will sit into a low-block could make number 66 the better option, able to produce a moment of genius to break the defensive line.
For the bigger games, though, the Chelsea captain is the obvious choice. If the Three Lions get as far as the World Cup final, James will start at right-back. He has no discernible weakness in his game, and gives Tuchel’s back line protection that Alexander-Arnold just can’t offer.
Both should get minutes at next summer’s tournament, but Tuchel’s best XI has to include James.