Wayne Rooney has condemned Trent Alexander-Arnold’s continued absence from the England squad as “mind-boggling,” questioning Thomas Tuchel’s decision to overlook the Real Madrid defender while still insisting Reece James should start at right-back at the World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold was omitted from England’s latest squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, despite enjoying an upturn in form and game time in Spain. The 27-year-old, who left Liverpool for Real Madrid last summer, has forced his way into the starting lineup since recovering from a thigh injury in January, yet remains on the fringes of the national team.

Tuchel instead recalled Ben White from a self-imposed international exile and handed the Arsenal defender starts in both matches, with White even scoring against Uruguay. It was the manager’s final chance to experiment before naming his World Cup group, and his choices have sparked fierce debate.

“No disrespect to Ben White, I think he’s a really good player, but for him to be in the squad and play ahead of Trent, I find it mind-boggling,” Rooney said on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, arguing that Alexander-Arnold’s quality on the ball and big-game experience should make him a fixture in the squad.

Alexander-Arnold has not played a significant role for England since a brief substitute appearance against Andorra in World Cup qualifying almost a year ago. Tuchel has previously suggested that Jarell Quansah is ahead of him in the pecking order, while Tino Livramento has also been used at full-back in recent fixtures.

Rooney, however, believes the debate is less about Alexander-Arnold’s talent and more about Tuchel’s tactical priorities. He accepts that, when fit, Chelsea’s Reece James remains the best option for England’s right-back berth, even if he labels James “unreliable” due to recurring injuries.

“We don’t need our full-backs to be the most attacking, we need them to defend,” Rooney said, explaining that his preferred back four would feature James, Harry Maguire, Marc Guéhi and Luke Shaw. With attacking depth further forward, Rooney argued, England require balance and defensive security rather than overlapping full-backs.

“We’ve got attacking ability at the top end of the pitch. We don’t need them to be bombing forward, keep the balance and let the attacking players win you the games. In terms of the lads who are in there, you wouldn’t say they were the best defensively anyway.”