The England team has named Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside a Real Madrid teammate despite fitness concerns affecting other players. While he returns to national duty, there are worries about the fitness levels of some stars, including those from Real Madrid, who recently missed international matches. With the upcoming fixtures, England aims to leverage Alexander-Arnold’s skills as they navigate these challenges on their path to success.
Trent Alexander-Arnold Joins England Squad with Madrid Mate
Lee Carsley has announced his second England squad as interim manager, featuring only one Liverpool player once more.
The Three Lions face Greece and Finland in their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches during October’s international break. They are looking to secure two more wins after their recent 2-0 victories against the latter and the Republic of Ireland.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was selected as the starting right-back in both matches, and the Reds defender is expected to play a key role once more after being included in Carsley’s squad for this month’s upcoming fixtures.

This means that Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is again excluded from the squad, having missed out on September’s wins against Ireland and Finland, even after being named in Gareth Southgate’s provisional Euro 2024 squad during the summer.
Other Reds, Joe Gomez, who was included in the Three Lions squad in Germany, and Harvey Elliott, are also not involved. Elliott is still recovering from an injury that has kept him out since the last international break.
After taking over as interim manager following Southgate’s resignation in July, Carsley has mostly maintained the same 23 players from his initial England squad. This means that players like Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Rico Lewis have retained their spots after earning their first call-ups last time.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has also been included in the squad, returning after missing the last match due to injury. Meanwhile, since the previous international break, former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke has received his first call-up in seven years after scoring three goals in five games for Tottenham. However, his teammate, James Maddison, is still unavailable.
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers has been overlooked for a call-up despite a solid start to the season under Unai Emery and will stay with the Under-21s. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Harry Maguire is still excluded after losing his place in the lineup under Erik ten Hag this season.
Real Madrid Star Skipped National Duty, Fitness Concerns
Last night, Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the new season, falling 0-1 to Lille in the UEFA Champions League.

Many issues, including a struggling forward line, plagued Los Blancos at Stade Pierre Mauroy. Kylian Mbappe’s incomplete fitness was among the various contributing factors.
The Frenchman was included in the squad for the trip to France despite an injury sustained late last month, as he reportedly recovered earlier than expected. He didn’t start the match last night and seemed to be a shadow of the person he usually was during his brief appearance.
Still Not Recovered
Although Mbappe returned to the pitch, his condition is not yet 100%, prompting Real Madrid to take a cautious approach.
According to L’Equipe, the World Cup winner will likely not participate in the team’s match against Villarreal on Saturday.
This follows his exclusion by Didier Deschamps from France’s upcoming matches during the international break, considering his fitness.
Deschamps, Real Madrid, and the player agree that he should take the necessary time to rest and regain full fitness instead of rushing back onto the field. Therefore, he will remain in Madrid during the break to focus on his recovery.
All indications suggest that Mbappe will return to action only against Celta Vigo later this month, putting Carlo Ancelotti in a challenging position, particularly considering the team’s current form.
Following a draw and a loss, the manager must find a way to compensate for the talisman’s absence and get back to winning this weekend.
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