Arabic version: واين روني ينتقد استبعاد ترينت ألكسندر-أرنولد من منتخب إنجلترا

According to BBC News,

Former England captain Wayne Rooney has expressed his disbelief over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exclusion from Thomas Tuchel’s final squad ahead of the World Cup. Rooney described the decision as “mind-boggling,” especially given Alexander-Arnold’s regular appearances for Real Madrid since his recovery from a thigh injury in January. Despite Chelsea’s Reece James being sidelined due to injury, Alexander-Arnold was not selected for England’s recent friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

In those matches, Arsenal’s Ben White was favored, even scoring the opener in a 1-1 draw with Uruguay. Rooney acknowledged White’s talent but questioned how he could be chosen over Alexander-Arnold, who has not played for England since a World Cup qualifying match against Andorra in June last year.

Other players such as Newcastle’s Tino Livramento and Tottenham’s Djed Spence were also included in Tuchel’s 35-man selection, further complicating Alexander-Arnold’s chances of making the World Cup squad. Phil Jagielka, Rooney’s former Everton teammate, believes Alexander-Arnold should still secure a spot, emphasizing the need for the best players on the roster.

Tuchel has been experimenting with his line-up, evidenced by Manchester City’s Phil Foden playing as a false nine in the absence of injured striker Harry Kane. Rooney has praised Tuchel for evaluating fringe players but feels the coach should have a clearer picture of his squad by now. England’s World Cup journey begins on 17 June against Croatia in Dallas, followed by matches against Ghana and Panama.