It’ll be interesting to see if Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold makes his first World Cup appearance of this competition next week.
England round off their Group B campaign with a clash against struggling Wales in Qatar on Tuesday.
The Three Lions laboured to a 0-0 draw with USA on Friday night.
Afterwards, Gary Neville said via ITV Sport that he feels as if Gareth Southgate should’ve unleashed the attack-minded Liverpool defender against the Americans.
There’s no doubt that Alexander-Arnold can provide an attacking threat which the likes of Kieran Trippier cannot, though he is, at times, a defensive liability.
Still, it’s possible that the Liverpool right-back would’ve been left at home if Reece James was fit, such have been Alexander-Arnold’s struggles under Jurgen Klopp in domestic duty this season.
Southgate has previously left the 24-year-old – who earns £180,000 per week [Spotrac] – out of his squad at international level.
And former Liverpool left-back Jose Enrique has alleged on Twitter that he doesn’t believe the England boss particularly likes Alexander-Arnold on a football level.
He said:
Southgate obviously won’t have anything personal against the Kirkby academy graduate, but it is a fact that he’s been omitted from squads before, somewhat controversially.
The Three Lions boss definitely has reservations about relying on the Liverpool man, who could prove a point with a stellar performance against the Welsh on Tuesday if he gets the nod ahead of Trippier.
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