Chelsea right-back Reece James has suffered an injury that looks set to dent his World Cup hopes, and Fabrizio Romano has offered his opinion on the options for Gareth Southgate in that position now.
There has been much debate about the right-back spot for England in recent times, with some fans surprised that Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t ever held down a regular starting spot for his country despite being such a star performer for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds side.
Still, Alexander-Arnold’s form has also taken a bit of a dip this season, so it may be that he won’t manage to take this perfect opportunity to start in Qatar this winter.
Writing in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano says he’s a big fan of Alexander-Arnold and that he could be an option for England, though they also have other good right-backs in their squad.
Romano adds that he’s a huge fan of James and regrets that Chelsea’s best player this season won’t be at the World Cup.
“I don’t currently have any information on team selection, so this is just an opinion, but I think Trent Alexander-Arnold is a fantastic right back, more than a right back,” Romano said.
“I agree with Jurgen Klopp on TAA – I think he deserves to have more space in the England team; but for sure, losing James is a big blow because despite England having many top right-backs.
“James has been the best Chelsea player in 2022, in my opinion. You want to see the best players at tournaments like the World Cup, so it’s a shame he now looks set to miss out.”