Underperforming Liverpool star dropped by national team; veteran midfielder called up

Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold dropped and Jordan Henderson picked in the England squad

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is dropped from the England squad, while club captain Jordan Henderson retains his place in the national team (from the World Cup squad) for the games against Italy and Ukraine in March.

England manager Gareth Southgate has made it clear that there are better right-backs than Alexander-Arnold, hence he is dropped. This decision is not a surprise because Southgate hasn’t favoured the Liverpool player even when he was at his best.

On the other hand, Henderson, who missed the second leg of the Champions League due to illness, gets picked despite his underwhelming form this season. It means that the illness is not serious and that Southgate has some of his favourites he will never drop.

With a 15-day gap between the Madrid and the upcoming Manchester City game, it is probably the best time for Alexander-Arnold to reflect on his recent form and figure out how he can get back to his best.

Every player goes through a rough patch, the 24-year-old is going through one at the moment. He hasn’t lost his touch just because things are not automatically happening to him. At times, it won’t happen however hard you try.

So, this snub from the England squad can only help the right-back to rest, recharge and come back fresh to help Liverpool make a late push towards a top-four finish in the league.

With nothing else to play for this season, the Reds have 12 cup finals in the league. They could do by at least nine of them to give themselves a chance of finishing fourth.

More Liverpool News:

• Liverpool face competition from Newcastle United for Benfica defender Antonio Silva
• Liverpool willing to pay £22m to sign La Liga forward Alberto Moleiro
• Outgoing Liverpool director Julian Ward in pole position to join Ajax Amsterdam

Playing Champions League football next season could be pivotal in how the transfer window is approached. Moreover, the money received for just taking part in that competition is a massive boost.