Thomas Tuchel axes Trent Alexander-Arnold from England squad and fans all have same response

Thomas Tuchel has named his 24-man squad ahead of England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

Tuchel will take charge of his first Three Lions fixture since the 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal in June during the upcoming international break.

England face Andorra at Villa Park on September 6 before they travel to face Serbia in Belgrade on September 9.

As things stand, Tuchel’s side boasts a healthy position in Group K, having won all three of their qualifiers against Albania, Latvia and Andorra.

And despite having multiple talented players to choose from in each position of the pitch, one thing the German head coach does not have is time.

Between now and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Tuchel will have just four international breaks to work with his players before deciding on his squad ahead of next summer’s tournament

Thomas Tuchel has named his 24-man England squad (Credit:Getty)

Several big-name players, including Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, were omitted from Tuchel’s squad for the fixtures in June, while Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah received a first international call-up.

So, who has made the cut ahead of the upcoming matches?

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been left out of the squad, while Spurs’ Djed Spence has received his first call-up to the national team.

Fans were quick to offer their thoughts on the Real Madrid man's omission on social media.

One said: "Oh dear. It’s all falling apart for Trent. We did warn him how things would play out if he moved to Madrid."

Another added: "Djed Spence in, Trent out. Funny old game."

A third claimed: "Trent must feel horrible looooooooooool."

While a fourth commented: "You simply can’t leave your most creative talented player out of the squad. Madness."

A fifth exclaimed: "This Djed Spence renaissance in 2025 has to go down as one of the best career comebacks in recent memory. Some player."

Notably, Rashford made the cut, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson in an England squad for the first time.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been left out of the England squad (Credit:Getty)

Grealish misses out despite a promising start to his loan at Everton. Adam Wharton and John Stones have also earned recalls after missing out on recent camps. Kyle Walker and Ivan Toney were also omitted. Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are out injured.

Full England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Dean Henderson

Defenders: Reece James, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, Djed Spence

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Adam Wharton, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice

Forwards: Harry Kane, Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins