Thomas Tuchel tells Trent Alexander-Arnold 'he just has to accept' England squad snub after phone call with Real Madrid star

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Thomas Tuchel has delivered a blunt verdict on Trent Alexander-Arnold's international future, insisting the Real Madrid defender "just has to accept" his latest exclusion from the England setup. Despite the former Chelsea boss admitting the decision could be viewed as "unfair", he has prioritised other defensive options for the upcoming World Cup preparation.

A difficult phone call for the Madrid man

Tuchel has confirmed that he held a direct conversation with Trent Alexander-Arnold to explain why the Real Madrid star has once again been overlooked for international duty. The 27-year-old’s hopes of featuring prominently at the upcoming World Cup have taken a massive hit, as he effectively finds himself languishing as seventh-choice in a heavily congested right-back department.

Addressing the media ahead of England’s international friendly against Uruguay, Tuchel revealed the nature of his recent exchange with the Liverpool star. "I know that it creates noise when you leave a player like Trent out," he admitted. "We had a call. I tried to explain the situation but he just has to accept it. Just a choice. A sportive choice and a difficult choice and maybe a hard choice. Maybe to a certain degree unfair but these choices have to be made."

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The rise of the rival full-backs

In his latest 35-man squad, Tuchel has opted to put his faith in Tino Livramento, Djed Spence, and Ben White to fill the void on the right side of his defence. Even with Reece James currently sidelined through injury and veteran stalwarts Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier no longer part of the international picture, Alexander-Arnold has been unable to convince the German tactician that he belongs in the squad.

Tuchel elaborated on why he turned to Arsenal's White, who recently returned to the fold, rather than the Madrid man. Indeed, when Jarell Quansah pulled out of the squad, it was White who received the call-up rather than Alexander-Arnold. "The choice was for Ben White because I saw him play here in the cup final against Man City. He played the Champions League match before and was straight away back to his old self. It was a chance for me to meet him in person, see how he interacts with the group," the England boss explained.

Tuchel prioritises continuity and form

The England manager appears determined to reward players who have performed well in previous international windows, leaving Alexander-Arnold on the outside looking in. Since Tuchel took the reins, the former Liverpool man has managed just a single substitute appearance - a brief cameo against Andorra last June - while his rivals have seized their opportunities to impress the new coaching staff.

"I think I know what Trent gives us so the choice was for Ben and for Tino Livramento on the right side," Tuchel noted. "To stick with the guys who actually had the good camps with us in September, October, November. They also need the minutes, there are a lot of players in this position - Djed Spence as well - who fight for a ticket. I didn't want to leave them out."

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World Cup dreams hanging by a thread

Now facing a fourth successive squad exclusion, Alexander-Arnold's international career has reached a concerning crossroads. Despite maintaining a regular starting spot at the Bernabeu following his move to the Spanish capital, the wing-back's unique skillset remains a point of contention for Tuchel, who previously opted to start Curtis Jones at right-back in a qualifying fixture.

With the World Cup on the horizon, the message from the England camp is clear: past reputation counts for little under the current regime. Unless there is a dramatic change in Tuchel's tactical outlook or a mounting injury crisis, one of England's most gifted technical players faces the very real prospect of watching the summer's tournament from home while his team-mates compete for global glory.