England's right-back problems have deepened during the World Cup, reigniting debate over Thomas Tuchel's decision to omit Trent Alexander-Arnold from the 26-man squad. The Real Madrid star has earned only one of his 34 England caps under Tuchel, a brief substitute appearance against Andorra in June 2025.
Injury Crisis at Right-Back
Before the tournament, Tino Livramento withdrew injured and was replaced by centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. Reece James and Jarell Quansah have since suffered injuries, leaving Djed Spence as the primary option. Against DR Congo on Wednesday, Spence struggled, forcing Declan Rice to fill in at right-back late on.
Alexander-Arnold, 27, has made 35 appearances for Real Madrid this season after overcoming injury issues, but Tuchel has consistently overlooked him. The England boss did not include him in the 35-man squad for friendlies in March, explaining: 'It is a sporting decision that we stick with Jarell Quansah, with Tino Livramento and with Djed Spence who all can play for us on the right full-back position. I know it’s a tough one, I know it’s a big name, a huge talent with a big career but I feel that I know what Trent can give us and decided still to stick to the players who were in camp with us.'
Defensive Concerns and Tactical Fit
In June 2025, Tuchel outlined Alexander-Arnold's shortcomings: 'I can see that sometimes he relies heavily on his offensive contributions and gives not so much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort. This major impact that he had for Liverpool over so many years … if he wants to have this impact in the English national team then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously. Because when we are talking, especially about qualifying football and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100 per cent awake, can be decisive. It can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home.'
Tuchel also cited tactical fit, noting that his preferred system with a back three and a full-back moving into midfield would not suit Alexander-Arnold: 'That would not be ideal with Trent. It will not suit his strengths to be in the back three. It would suit his strengths from passing ability, passing range but it will be too deep and he would be in charge of recovery runs and being aggressive in the counter-pressing. That would just not suit his character. We need to find the role that suits him.'
Team Spirit Over Individual Talent
When announcing his World Cup squad in May, Tuchel emphasised team cohesion: 'From day one we were clear we were trying to build the best possible team, which is not necessarily the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships, and what we’re trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team. We have players ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish. We have specialists for different scenarios, when we’re leading, when we’re chasing a result. We have always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that, and we want to be a strong penalty team, we have specialists for that.'
As England prepare for their last-16 match against Mexico, the absence of Alexander-Arnold remains a talking point, with many fans questioning whether his creative output could have alleviated the team's right-back woes.
