England's World Cup right-back choices make Trent Alexander-Arnold's omission easier to explain. England's last five World Cup results include wins over Croatia, Panama, Congo DR and Mexico, plus a goalless draw with Ghana, and the right side has been handled by players already in the tournament rhythm. Djed Spence has started five matches, played 206 minutes, and has a 6.65 average rating with no goals or assists.
Spence's case on recent usage
That is the clearest reason England could stick with Spence. He has not been asked to change the shape of the side, and his numbers point to steady usage rather than an emergency solution. A right-back who has already been on the pitch five times, for 206 minutes, is hard to treat as a spare part.
Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold, by contrast, has been watching from outside the setup while that spot stays occupied. Mirror described him as having been missing on the right flank for England at the World Cup, while the Liverpool Echo linked the omission to the wider right-back picture around Thomas Tuchel's squad selection.
Livramento adds another live option
The other piece is Tino Livramento. His last five matches include one Premier League win over Fulham, a 7.0-rated outing against Tottenham and a 5.5-rated Champions League defeat to Barcelona. He also logged 74 minutes in his most recent match, which is enough to show England are not short of a second active option on that side.
That leaves Alexander-Arnold needing something other than reputation to force his way back in. England have already leaned on Spence in tournament games, and Livramento's recent minutes make the right-back decision look less like a gap and more like a choice. If England keep trusting those two in the next round of fixtures, the omission stops looking accidental and starts looking like selection order.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
