Alexander-Arnold is an England international again, on paper at least, after fifteen months out of the picture. Thomas Tuchel named his squad for this month's Nations League fixtures with both Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer back in, the two most notable absences from England's World Cup run this summer, and the two names every conversation about this squad was always going to start with.
Eight changes separate this squad from the one that took England to a third-place finish at the World Cup in North America this summer. Phil Foden and Jordan Henderson are among those dropping out. Newcastle's Lewis Hall, Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha are among those coming in alongside the two headline returns. None of the other changes were the story today, though. Those were always going to be Alexander-Arnold and Palmer.
Trent Alexander Arnold of Real Madrid in action during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja on September 04, 2026 in Seville, Spain. Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Why they were both left out in the first place
Neither absence was really controversial at the time, even if both were talked about constantly. Alexander-Arnold hadn't played for England since June 2025, a run that stretched back well before the World Cup squad was even picked, while he adjusted to life at Real Madrid after leaving Liverpool. Palmer's omission came down to fitness and form together: a groin injury disrupted his season just as Chelsea slumped to a tenth-place Premier League finish, and Tuchel opted for other options rather than gamble on a player who wasn't fully right.
What's changed is simple enough. Palmer has started this season with four goals and two assists in his first six games under Xabi Alonso, numbers that make his omission from the summer look considerably more debatable in hindsight than it did at the time. Alexander-Arnold has settled into two different positions at Real Madrid and made his case with a strong start to the season in Spain, enough that Tuchel felt there was no longer a reason to leave him out of the conversation.
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid is challenged by Marcus Thuram of Internazionale during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid C.F. and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 08, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Tuchel's own message: this is a chance, not a return
Asked directly about both recalls, Tuchel was careful not to frame either as a settled decision. "Cole has his numbers back," he said, before adding, of Alexander-Arnold specifically, that "he was never non-selectable." The distinction matters. Tuchel is treating both recalls as an opportunity to compete for a place rather than a return to guaranteed selection, particularly for Alexander-Arnold, who Tuchel confirmed will report to camp as a right-back in a position where competition remains genuinely fierce.
England open their Nations League campaign against reigning European and world champions Spain at Wembley on 26 September, before matches against the Czech Republic and Croatia follow in the same window. For two players who spent the World Cup watching from home, the message from their own manager is blunt enough: getting picked again isn't the hard part. Staying picked is.
