No way back for Trent Alexander-Arnold? Wayne Rooney suggests Real Madrid star won't make England return under Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel raised eyebrows across the footballing world by naming an expanded 35-man squad for England’s final camp before the World Cup, yet found no space for Alexander-Arnold. The former Liverpool standout, who joined Real Madrid last summer, has been a regular fixture for the Three Lions since 2018, making his absence from such a large group particularly notable.

Speaking on his BBC podcast, Rooney did not hold back in his assessment of the situation. "The one big surprise, obviously, was Trent," Rooney said. "I find it incredible that he’s not in a 35-man squad. It didn’t sound like there was any way back for Trent in the squad, the way Thomas Tuchel spoke."

Despite long-standing debates regarding his defensive capabilities, Rooney insists that Alexander-Arnold brings a unique set of skills that no other English player can replicate. After a period of adaptation following his move to the Bernabeu, the 27-year-old has established himself as a key performer for the Spanish giants.

"But he should be in that squad. Look at his ability, his quality – I know he’s not the best defender, he’ll probably admit that himself," Rooney added. "But what he has on the ball is something no other English player has. He’s been playing for Real Madrid recently and playing really well. I think sometimes we judge players too quickly and I’ve been guilty of that myself. You don’t know how difficult it was for him to go over there to settle in and he picked up a few injuries as well."

Rooney went further by suggesting that the decision to leave out a player of Alexander-Arnold's calibre might be motivated by factors beyond pure form. He hinted at a potential desire from Tuchel to reshape the dressing room culture and break up established social groups within the national team setup.

"There’s an argument that he should start for England. So to not have him in the squad, it feels a little bit deeper from Tuchel," Rooney explained. "Now I know he’s close with Jude [Bellingham] and it looks like there’s been a few issues with Jude not being in the squad of late. So maybe Tuchel feels there’s a clique there and he’s trying to split that up. I don’t know, I don’t know what the reasons are."

Facing questions about the snub, the England boss described the decision as difficult but necessary as he looks toward the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

"It’s our last camp. The last opportunity to impress and the last opportunity for players to compete for their ticket," Tuchel stated.

Specifically addressing the Real Madrid man, he added: "I know what Trent can give us and I decided still to stick to the players with us".