On Tuesday, it emerged that Thomas Tuchel and England were being forced into a last-minute World Cup change. Tino Livramento picked up an injury, and Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah has replaced him.
It was a surprise when former Chelsea manager Tuchel announced his initial 26-man squad, that only one Chelsea player had been included. Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah and more were overlooked.
Has Cole Palmer been wronged? Or is it just deserved for his poor form?🤔
John Terry thinks Palmer and Colwill should have been included, while Man United’s Harry Maguire said Palmer is the one change he would make because of Bukayo Saka’s fitness, and Palmer’s penalty rate.
But Tuchel has made his selections and not gave in to public pressure. In a way, even if the squad is not perfect in the eyes of many, it is admirable that Tuchel has been so staunch in his 26-man selection.
Carragher on Chalobah pick over Alexander-Arnold
On Tuesday, Tuchel had another decision to make. He had to replace Livramento, with the Newcastle defender ruled out for five weeks with a hamstring injury. Tuchel chose to call-up Chelsea’s Chalobah.
Of course, Tuchel knows Chalobah well having worked with him at Chelsea. Chalobah offers versatility on the right of the defence and at centre-back and in Tuchel’s words, it opens up Jarrel Quansah’s versatility.
But speaking to Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher admitted he was surprised that Trent Alexander-Arnold has not been given the call instead of Chalobah as a replacement, saying Chalobah was picked for harmony.
“We know Thomas Tuchel’s stance now, regarding Trent. When you look at some players in the squad, he looks like he’s picking centre-backs who can do a job at right-back, rather than out-and-out right-backs.
“We know the special qualities that Trent Alexander-Arnold has, that’s why Real Madrid have him. That’s why Liverpool supporters were so upset to lose him,” Carragher said during an interview on Sky Sports.
“The quality Trent has, and the deficiencies he has too, that’s the reason Tuchel has not picked him. He’s looking at the negatives more than the positives with Trent, and the way he wants to set his team up.
“Maybe the strengths don’t amplify as much in a Tuchel team as much as they do in a Real Madrid team. I’m overly surprised he hasn’t gone for Trent, he’s picking team harmony over quality and talent.”
Harry Maguire asked if he was gutted at Chalobah selection
Alongside the likes of Palmer, Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden, Maguire was another surprise omission from the squad. The experienced Man United defender has been excellent in the last few months.
Starting to think England have called up the wrong player?🤔
Already publicly frustrated at not being included, Maguire was then asked by Gary Lineker this week if he felt aggrieved at Chalobah’s call-up over receiving a phone call himself. He showed a touch of class.
“When someone drops out like that, I do believe that as a squad, you need to call someone up with the minimum of fuss. No real media attention to it, no disruption to the camp,” he told The Rest Is Football.
“I don’t think Trent would have ever been called up; when it’s a big game, all the questions would have been about him. If he called me up, it would be about me,” the experienced England defender added.
The chances of Chalobah actually playing are minimal. He will be behind James, Spence, Konsa and even Quansah at right-back, and probably behind John Stones, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn and Konsa in the middle.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
