Gary Lineker has accused Thomas Tuchel of creating a ‘really insulting’ decision together with his final England squad before the World Cup.
Tuchel named an expanded 35-man squad for the March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan and insisted the international break represented the ‘last likelihood’ for players to book their spots on the plane.
The England boss called up two uncapped players in Everton midfielder James Garner and Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele.
There have been recalls for Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo, AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori, Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was ignored, nonetheless, and suffered one other snub when Tuchel called up Arsenal’s Ben White to switch the injured Jarell Quansah.
Alexander-Arnold left boyhood club Liverpool last summer to hitch Real Madrid, where he has began to impress after a shaky begin to his Bernabeu profession.
Lineker believes Tuchel will need to have a ‘personal’ issue with Alexander-Arnold and says it’s ‘really insulting’ that he’s behind White within the pecking order.
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White has not been involved with England since leaving the Three Lions camp in the course of the 2022 World Cup for private reasons.
The 27-year-old has not exactly been knocking the door down endlessly this season, only making seven Premier League appearances for leaders Arsenal.
‘You obviously know I’m an enormous admirer of Trent,’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. ‘I feel 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 probabilities, even when it’s from the bench.
‘So I believe there’s something that Tuchel doesn’t like about Trent Alexander-Arnold, I’d just be guessing by way of what it may be, whether it’s his attitude or he thinks he’s not sensible defensively.
‘There has to be something in that since it makes absolutely no sense. You’ve got players playing in his position, with all due respect, that usually are not in the identical league as him, definitely with the ball at his feet.
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‘As you saw in these sort of games, you would like someone with a little bit of magic to unlock things, and he’ll provide you that.
‘So it doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know whether it’s his attitude or what it’s. I don’t know.
‘But I find it quite insulting taking a look at the players he’s brought in. We talk concerning the Ben White situation, for instance, and he’s not desired to play for England before.
‘Now I wouldn’t judge him on that because we don’t really know what’s happened within the camp before and his reasons for not playing.
‘That’s all high-quality but I can’t see how he can still be ahead of Trent, I feel that’s really insulting to a seriously top full-back. That’s my view.’
White scored his first England goal within the 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday night. Tuchel’s side might be hoping for a greater result and performance on Tuesday after they face Japan.
A major section of England fans subjected White to boos in the course of the game and ex-captain Jordan Henderson has vowed to ‘support’ the Arsenal defender.
‘As team-mates we’re at all times there to support,’ Henderson said. ‘I actually have been through it myself, but that is a component and parcel of being an England player.
‘A few of the fans probably don’t even know why they’re booing, they take heed to what’s being said within the media, and lots of the time what the media says isn’t true.
‘Not many individuals know the ins and outs of what happened in Qatar and it’s for us to take care of internally. Ben has been good since he got here back in and we are going to support him as team-mates.’
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