Trent Alexander-Arnold
Despite being considered one of the best full-backs in the world, Trent Alexander-Arnold has never been offered a permanent position in the England squad. This is a creative player but not really suitable tactically for the "Three Lions". And that trend continues under coach Thomas Tuchel.
The Real Madrid star has only played for England for 26 minutes since the German coach officially took office, in the match against Andorra in June. He was previously absent from the March training camp due to injury, and was again left out of the international call-up at the end of the summer, when Reece James and Tino Livramento were chosen as replacements.
"He's a great player, always ready to compete for a position. I know he wants to stay here, that's very important. I only choose others for the sake of competition," Tuchel said at the time.
However, another injury has left Alexander-Arnold unable to feature in his most recent international series, reducing his chances of performance. Meanwhile, Reece James - who worked with Tuchel at Chelsea - is clearly dominating. If he cannot return to the squad in November, Alexander-Arnold's chance to participate in the World Cup could disappear.
Jude Bellingham
It is almost unimaginable that Jude Bellingham will not play a central role in England's plans for the 2026 World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico.
However, Tuchel's statements and shocking decision to remove him from the October training camp have made the midfielder's future in the national team questionable.
The star born in 2003 missed the September training session after a long shoulder surgery. Despite his full recovery, the Real Madrid midfielder has not been called up this month. Tuchel decided to keep the same squad that played against Wales and Latvia.
"Bellingham is a very special player, and with special players, sometimes there are rules of their own. I understand that, but with this training session, we have chosen to be consistent, calling back the same team. The same applies to Bellingham, although he always deserves to be there.
I think there is another problem, he has not fully integrated with Real Madrid. Although he has returned to the squad, he has not played a full match and has only started once. Bellingham is still in the process of regaining his pace and fitness. However, the decision for this rally remains the same," Tuchel explained the controversial decision.
As a talent of the golden generation of English football, Bellingham still hopes to participate in the 2026 World Cup. However, the question is: will Tuchel continue to be loyal to a fixed squad, even when the results are still positive?
Phil Foden
Another player praised by Tuchel despite not being on the latest call-up list is Phil Foden. The English midfielder seems to be regaining the image of an irreplaceable factor in the Manchester City squad 2 seasons ago, although his form has not really exploded.
In fact, Foden has not impressed enough to be called back to the England team, as he has not played under Tuchel since the German coach's first two matches in March. The 25-year-old has been a victim of controversial personnel decisions, after a disappointing season at the individual level, combined with injuries in September.
Tuchel admitted that Foden has "returned to the role of influence and match decide for Man City". However, there is still a feeling that he has not been able to take a good enough position in the German coach's selection list.
Foden is currently behind Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze. These are players who are considered to have a chance to return to the plan of the former Bayern Munich captain in the near future.
