Jamie Carragher says he is not surprised to see former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold snubbed by England again as Thomas Tuchel prioritises 'squad harmony over quality'. The former Reds full-back was a notable absentee from the German's squad as they look to tackle the World Cup across North America this summer.
The 27-year-old's omission from the squad marked the latest disappointment in his career after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid. Alexander-Arnold's last appearance for the Three Lions came 12 months ago when he featured as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Andorra during their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Having initially struggled with acclimatising to the La Liga giants and injury problems, the Champions League and two-time Premier League winner played his part in trying to salvage Los Blancos' season as they were forced to finish behind rivals Barcelona. His showings for Real Madrid were not enough to convince Tuchel to reserve a seat on the plane.
As a result of Tino Livramento being forced to withdraw from the team due to a calf injury on Tuesday, Alexander-Arnold was overlooked again with Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah receiving the nod.
Carragher felt that some of the 27-year-old's shortcomings played a part in Tuchel's thinking. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich head coach has opted for squad harmony over quality, but overall, Carragher was not surprised by the decision. He told Sky Sports: "We know Thomas Tuchel's stance regarding Trent. When you look at some of the players in the squad it looks as though he's picking centre-backs who can do a job at right-back rather than out-and-out right-backs.
"We know there are the special qualities that Alexander-Arnold has. That's why Real Madrid wanted him. The reason why Liverpool supporters were so upset to lose him. The qualities Trent has, and maybe the deficiencies, is maybe why Tuchel hasn't picked him.
"He's looking at the negatives instead of the positives. The way he wants to set his team up, maybe the strengths don't get amplified as much in a Tuchel team as they do in a Jurgen Klopp team. I wouldn't say I'm overly surprised that he hasn't gone for Trent.
"I said a few weeks ago that he's picking team harmony, togetherness and spirit over quality and talent. I think this is another decision that just proves that."
Alexander-Arnold's club teammate Jude Bellingham will be representing the Three Lions, but he too has faced scrutiny over his place. The Real Madrid star is the topic of debate regarding whether he will receive a starting berth.
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire claimed that the decision to snub Alexander-Arnold was more to dismiss the possibility of creating unnecessary headlines on the eve of their group opener. Speaking on the Rest is Football, he said: "When someone drops out like that, I do believe with the squad, you want to call up somebody with a minimum of fuss, no real media attention or disruption to the camp.
"So I do believe when someone did get injured, I don't think Trent would have ever been called up because the questions and everything will be about him. If it's a big game, it's about Croatia.
"If he called me up, the questions would be about me, Luke Shaw the same. We've been to tournaments and play for big clubs; that's what you want when you bring someone up on standby. Congratulations to Trevoh, I hope he has an impact on the squad."
