Jamie Redknapp has questioned England’s decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the World Cup squad, describing the omission as a major error following Reece James’ injury setback.
James’ tournament is now in serious doubt after the Chelsea defender suffered a hamstring injury during England’s clash with Ghana.
The full-back is not expected to return until the later stages of the competition, depending on how far Thomas Tuchel’s side progress.
The injury has created a problem on the right side of England’s defence, with Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah, Ezri Konsa and Trevoh Chalobah now the available options.
Tuchel previously admitted that James’ injury was unexpected, but Redknapp believes England should have prepared better by selecting Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold, whose passing ability and attacking quality could have provided another dimension.
“I think everyone else saw it coming,” Redknapp told Sky Sports News.
“It felt like a bold decision to not call up Trent Alexander-Arnold. It feels like a big mistake.
“Reece James is a tremendous footballer but his injury record has not been great this season. What do you expect?”
Redknapp highlighted concerns about England’s current options, suggesting the absence of Alexander-Arnold could become more noticeable against teams that defend deep and force England to create opportunities from wide areas.
“To say that Quansah could be England’s right-back tells you everything. He’s a centre-back, that’s his position. That’s pretty much where he’s always played.
“Against teams who are going to sit back, you need to get width. It looks like a monumental mistake right now. To not have him in the squad just tells you that he’s a big character. But the big managers have to handle big characters.”
The former England midfielder also suggested that squad balance may have influenced the decision, but questioned whether avoiding potential personality issues should outweigh footballing ability.
“It can only be that he felt he might’ve been a bit divisive. That he wouldn’t have added to the harmony of the squad. Otherwise, you would 100 per cent have him in. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Alexander-Arnold’s ability from set pieces and his range of passing have long been considered key strengths, and Redknapp believes those qualities could have been valuable for England’s World Cup ambitions.
“Trent’s got one of the best right feet in football. If you ask people like Harry Kane, that’s exactly what they want.”
With James unavailable, attention will now turn to whether England’s remaining defenders can fill the gap.
For Redknapp, the situation has only increased the debate around one of the biggest squad decisions made before the tournament.
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