England boss Gareth Southgate has indicated that Newcastle United full-back Kieran Trippier is ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order. The Liverpool defender was left out of the squad entirely for England’s 3-3 draw against Germany on Monday, after serving as an unused substitute in Friday’s defeat in Italy.
His omission from the England set-up has been a major topic of discussion during Southgate’s six-year reign. While he has posted 235 appearances for Liverpool, winning the Premier League and UEFA Champions League in the process, the 23-year-old has been capped just 17 times for the Three Lions.
Alexander-Arnold was ruled out of Euro 2020 due to injury but has featured in just four of England’s last 15 internationals since. If this isn't enough to suggest that Alexander-Arnold has been banished to the shadows by Southgate then the national manager’s post-match comments offered a clearer picture of the situation.
