'Axed Alexander-Arnold faces fight for club & country'

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been left facing an uphill fight on two fronts after he was dropped by England coach Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

The 26-year-old's dream move from Liverpool to Real Madrid suffered an undistinguished start when he was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the win against Oviedo after being taken off 68 minutes into his La Liga debut against Osasuna.

And now, with his exclusion from the latest England squad, it is clear Alexander-Arnold has a battle to figure in next summer's World Cup if they qualify, after Tuchel's latest demonstration that he is far from convinced by the full-back.

The German made all the right noises, but has previously barely disguised his reservations about Alexander-Arnold defensively, even to the extent of picking his former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones, an established midfielder, ahead of him for the World Cup qualifier against Andorra in June.

Alexander-Arnold only played 26 minutes as a substitute in that game, then did not figure at all in the subsequent friendly defeat to Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham.

And if he did not know already that he has work to do to fit into Tuchel's plans leading up to the World Cup, he certainly knows now.

When asked about leaving out Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish, who has made a fine start on loan at Everton, Tuchel said: "We decided for a tighter, more competitive squad. We didn't use all 23 players. There is no doubt I am a big fan of Trent and Jack Grealish.

"Big players and big personalities, always in the mix. I know both are desperate but in this camp we decided for Reece James and [Tino] Livramento in Trent's position, and in Jack's position Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze, simply for competition.

"The competition is up."

The England boss sounded the alarm bells for Alexander-Arnold before those games in June when he openly questioned his defensive ability, saying he must take that aspect of his game "very, very seriously".

"I can see that sometimes he relies heavily on his offensive contributions and gives not so much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort," added Tuchel.

"This major impact that he had for Liverpool over so many years… if he wants to have this impact in the English national team then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously.

"Because when we are talking, especially about qualifying football, and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100% awake, can be decisive. It can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home."

Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold faces challenges for club and country after being dropped by England head coach Thomas Tuchel

It was a brutal analysis of Alexander-Arnold's game. Now Tuchel has gone a step further by dropping him completely, piling more misery on a chastening period for the defender, who left Liverpool for the Bernabeu on a free transfer.

Tuchel clearly feels he has enough options at his disposal at right-back with the inclusion of Chelsea captain James, and Tottenham's Djed Spence and Newcastle's Livramento, who can play on both flanks.

It all adds up to an inauspicious few days for Alexander-Arnold, who has made an uncertain start at Real Madrid and finds club legend Dani Carvajal fit again and in no mood to hand over the right-back berth he has made his own while helping the side win six Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles.

Spain international Carvajal has made a quicker than expected return to fitness after suffering a serious knee ligament injury in October - and the timing could not be worse for Alexander-Arnold.

The 33-year-old Carvajal, who holds iconic status at Real, is the ultimate competitor and would regard the Englishman's arrival as a challenge he is more than happy to accept - and one he intends to win.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has expressed reservations about Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive abilities

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told the BBC Radio 5 Live Euro Leagues podcast that questions are already being raised about Alexander-Arnold in Spain.

He said: "The Spanish media have a narrative already on Trent. He's too shy, he doesn't fit in, Carvajal will surpass him. I hope he (Trent) hears this, and the Spanish he speaks, that he can read the Spanish media.

"He has a big challenge. We know he can go up and down, but to adapt to a Xabi Alonso team and do it consistently...

"Carvajal has an advantage as he can do it straight away and understand it, and knows what Xabi wants. Trent has an education that he needs to do. Carvajal, even though he is 33, he will be there and it will be difficult to take him out of the line-up."

Alexander-Arnold made a smooth entrance at Real Madrid, impressing the locals by speaking in fluent Spanish at his unveiling, but there have been bumps in the road since, with Tuchel's decision to drop him another body blow for the Merseysider.

The challenge now confronting Alexander-Arnold is a daunting one. He may have expected to fight for a place with England, but surely not so soon at Real Madrid.

And if Tuchel had concerns when he was playing regularly at Liverpool, they are hardly likely to disappear if he is on the margins with Los Blancos.

England's senior team has been an unfulfilling environment for Alexander-Arnold in recent years, with Tuchel's predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate also having concerns about his defensive frailties.

This led to the ill-fated "experiment" - Southgate's description - of playing him in midfield at Euro 2024 in Germany, a strategy predictably abandoned when he was substituted nine minutes after half-time in England's second game, a 1-1 draw against Denmark.

Alexander-Arnold did have the brief moment of joy when he scored the winning penalty in the quarter-final shootout success over Switzerland, but this latest decision now casts serious doubt over his international future, a setback for a player who will have had the World Cup firmly in his sights.

What should have been shaping up as potentially the most glittering period of his career is suddenly over-loaded with obstacles at both England and Real Madrid.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has made an undistinguished start at Real Madrid following his free transfer move from Liverpool