England manager Thomas Tuchel made the controversial decision to exclude Trent Alexander-Arnold from the Three Lions squad for the September 2025 international break.
The Real Madrid star was part of Tuchel’s squad during the June break, but the coach was cautious about his defensive performances and preferred to rely on Reece James and Kyle Walker in the friendlies against Senegal and Andorra.
The German was expected to call up Arnold for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, but the former Liverpool star failed to make the cut.
Arnold’s failure to secure a starting spot in Real Madrid’s squad was perhaps one of the main reasons for his exclusion, as Tuchel continues to emphasize that consistent player participation and good performance are the only path to England’s national team, and nothing else.
The 26-year-old played for 68 minutes in Real Madrid’s first match against Osasuna. Xabi Alonso then replaced Dani Carvajal against Levante, with Arnold replacing him for the final three minutes of the match.
Marcus Rashford continued to feature in the squad, and Tuchel also selected goalkeeper James Trafford despite his poor performance for City against Tottenham.
England squad for September 2025
Goalkeepers: Henderson, Pickford, Trafford
Defense: Burne, Guehi, James, Konsah, Lewis Skelly, Livramento, Spence, Stones
Midfielders: Anderson, Gibbs-White, Henderson, Declan Rice, Rodgers, Adam Wharton
Attacks: Bowen, Eze, Gordon, Ken-Madueke, Rashford, Watkins
