Trent Alexander-Arnold: Buried Sixth in England's Right-Back Queue? The Brutal Squad Depth Rankings

Picture this: you're building England XIs for the 2026 World Cup like it's a fantasy draft, but each player gets just one life. Where does Trent Alexander-Arnold slot in? Spoiler from the lads at Football365 (via OneFootball): not until after Jaidon Anthony. Ouch. With Thomas Tuchel echoing Gareth Southgate's doubts, the ex-Liverpool star's international future looks murkier than a Merseyside fog.

It's no secret Alexander-Arnold divides opinions. A genius with the ball at his feet for club, but harnessing that at international level? Tricky with limited prep time. Snubbed from Tuchel's 35-man pre-World Cup squad and ignored for right-back cover, he's got us pondering just how many backups England boasts ahead of him.

The First-Choice XI: Picks Itself (Mostly)

England's spine is rock solid. Jordan Pickford in goal, no debate. Backline? Reece James, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, and Lewis Hall holding it down on the left.

Midfield hinges on Jude Bellingham shaking off fitness niggles. Sure, he's still bedding in under Tuchel, but his tournament nous edges out rivals – and it'd wind up certain pundits no end. Declan Rice anchors, with Elliot Anderson alongside for bite. Up top, Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers in the hole, Anthony Gordon, and skipper Harry Kane – pure firepower.

That Nico O'Reilly? He's nabbed a spot with his Carabao Cup heroics. Solid.

Depth Chart Drama: Second to Fifth XIs

Disaster strikes – dodgy lasagne fells the starters. Step up the backups: Marcus Rashford, Dominic Solanke, Adam Wharton, those Newcastle full-backs like Tino Livramento. Straightforward swaps from the positional dogfights.

Third XI? Midfield muscle from James Garner and Kobie Mainoo, both Carrington grads. Forward line screams Arsenal: think Gabriel Martinelli vibes, but Cole Palmer? He's drifted off the radar unless chatting refs.

Fourth string gets wild. Phil Foden trialled up top behind Kane months back, but goal drought since December? Faded. Alex Scott unluckily misses squads, stuck next to Spurs lads and behind Newcastle flyers. And Ben White? Back in, basically damning Trent's stock. Eye-rolls incoming when he moans about not liking footy.

Fifth XI is a gritty, hyphenated beast. Freshly retired Kyle Walker eyes a comeback – 'I'd never say no to my country,' he reckons, despite feeling cover's ample. But tournament know-how trumps Trent's irregular starts. Danny Welbeck, ageless playlist king, bosses the vibes. And yep, Jaidon Anthony sneaks in here.

Shearer's Bold Snubs and Tuchel's Auditions

Alan Shearer, Premier League legend, stirred the pot via Goal.com and OneFootball reports. His 2026 XI? Ditches Bellingham and Palmer for form merchants: Pickford; James, Guehi, Konsa, Hall; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Rogers, Gordon; Kane. Tactical balance over galáctico hype.

'Tuchel's tweaking with his 35-man squad,' Shearer told Betfair. 'Gives fringe lads a shot – some in the XI won't even make the 26-man USA, Mexico, Canada roster.' Golden window for outsiders.

Sixth XI? Most expensive uncapped Englishman ever (Archie Gray?), a one-cap wonder, Arsenal teen on the right. Trent? Still waiting. Stylistic misfit, sparse caps lately – Walker's the emergency pick.

Harsh? Aye. But with Tuchel building, Alexander-Arnold needs a breakout. Will he? Or stay buried in the backups? Pub debate fuel for months, lads.