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Football

18th Mar 2021

Twitter reacts as Trent Alexander-Arnold is dropped from England squad

Simon Lloyd

There is no place for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the first England squad of the year

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s omission was one of the standout headlines to come from Gareth Southgate’s first England squad of 2021.

While the Three Lions’ boss is blessed with an abundance of talent at right-back, the decision to leave the Liverpool man out of the team entirely ahead of games with San Marino, Albania and Poland was, to many, an unexpected move.

Southgate confirmed that Alexander-Arnold had been dropped and was not left out due to injury.

“I don’t think he’s played at the level he’s been at during the last few years,” Southgate said. “He’s a big talent and I’m sure he will play a big role for England in the future.”

Instead, there were call-ups for Chelsea’s Reece James and Kieran Trippier of Atletico Madrid.

Whereas Southgate’s assessment that Alexander-Arnold has not hit the same heights as he has in recent years is fair, the news that he still wasn’t deemed worthy of a place in the squad came as a surprise to many:

https://twitter.com/SammyCeeee/status/1372557991141052419

Others viewed it as good news for his club, who will not have to worry about losing another player to injury over the international break 

Others pointed it was merely a continuation of Southgate continuing to pick players on their form, not reputation

https://twitter.com/GillesOffTheWeb/status/1372554161653481472

England play San Marino at Wembley next Thursday, facing Albania in Tirana three days later. They will then return to Wembley for the game with Poland the following Wednesday.