England football legend, Gary Lineker, has raised eyebrows over a significant omission in Thomas Tuchel's England squad. The former striker suggests that the German manager may have a 'personal' issue with one player who was left out of his team. On last Friday, Tuchel led the England national team for his 11th match since being appointed as manager in October 2024. The Three Lions faced Uruguay at Wembley Stadium and ended up with a 1-1 draw.
Tuchel had named an experimental 35-man squad for England's two international games during the break. This included players like Ben White and Harvey Barnes, both of whom haven't been regulars in the national side. White was called up for the first time since 2022 while Barnes made his first appearance in nearly six years as a substitute against Uruguay.
However, one notable absence from this extensive squad was Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Real Madrid star has only made one appearance under Tuchel - a brief cameo against Andorra back in June. Since making his controversial move from Liverpool to Real Madrid in May 2025, Alexander-Arnold has struggled to secure regular spots both at club level and within the national team setup. The right-back seems to be behind Reece James, Tino Livaramento, Jarell Quansah and Ben White on Tuchel’s pecking order list.
Lineker suggests personal issue
In light of these circumstances, Gary Lineker suggested that there might be more than just professional reasons behind Alexander-Arnold’s omission from the squad. He hinted at possible personal issues between Thomas Tuchel and Trent Alexander-Arnold which could explain why he is not being selected.
Gary Lineker, Premier League legend, said:
“You obviously know I’m a big admirer of Trent. I think there’s something personal, because football-wise, there’s no argument. I can’t see how he can not be in that squad because he has to improve your chances, even if it’s from the bench. So I suspect there’s something that Tuchel does not like about Trent Alexander-Arnold, I’d just be guessing in terms of what it might be, whether it’s his attitude or he thinks he’s not brilliant defensively.
“There has to be something in that because it makes absolutely no sense. You’ve got players playing in his position, with all due respect, that are not in the same league as him, certainly with the ball at his feet. As you saw in these kind of games, you need someone with a bit of magic to unlock things, and he will provide you that. Now I wouldn’t judge him on that because we don’t really know what’s happened in the camp before and his reasons for not playing. That’s all fine but I can’t see how he can still be ahead of Trent, I think that’s really insulting to a seriously top full-back. That’s my view.”
Lineker isn't the only one questioning Tuchel's decision. England fans also expressed their disappointment over Alexander-Arnold’s absence, as evidenced by the boos directed at Ben White during the match against Uruguay.
Despite his struggles with both club and country, Alexander-Arnold remains optimistic. He recently posted 'Madrid and nothing more' on Instagram after helping Real Madrid beat local rivals Atletico prior to the international break. While Tuchel's experimental lineup may have brought some fresh faces into the squad, it has also sparked controversy and debate among fans and football legends alike. Only time will tell if this strategy pays off in future matches or if changes will be made to accommodate fan-favorites like Trent Alexander-Arnold.
