Jamie Carragher has explained why Thomas Tuchel didn’t pick Brighton’s in-form striker Danny Welbeck in his latest England squad.
It was widely rumoured that the former Manchester United and Arsenal star would be selected for England’s games against Serbia and Albania.
Welbeck, who last played for England seven years ago, has been in fine form for the Seagulls with six goals in his last six Premier League games.
But the 34-year-old was not called up by Tuchel, who named Harry Kane as his only out-and-out striker in his squad for November.
Carragher believes the reason why Welbeck wasn’t included is because Tuchel would look to shift tactics if Kane suffered an injury, such as playing with a false nine, due to a lack of quality among other England strikers.
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‘We’re lucky to have Harry Kane,’ Carragher told Metro. ‘I think there’s a lot of countries now looking for strikers.
‘Rather than putting players in the squad who he doesn’t think are good enough, or because of their age, like Danny Welbeck, maybe he (Tuchel) thinks, ‘You know what, if Kane is out, we go with something different’.
‘[Tuchel will] play with a false nine or use the wide areas and pack our midfield. Kane is a real standout for us. It’s a big drop off behind him.
‘But that’s the nature of international squads at times. I think that’s where we are with the strikers right now.’
Carragher ‘surprised’ over Lewis-Skelly omission
Another player who did not make Tuchel’s latest squad was Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly, a decision which has surprised Carragher, despite his lack of regular playing time with the Gunners this season.
Asked if the left-back was in danger of missing the World Cup next year if he does not cement a spot in the Arsenal XI, Carragher said: ‘Maybe.
‘I was surprised [he wasn’t in the November squad]. Calafiori is doing so well at left-back [for Arsenal] but I’m sure Lewis-Skelly will get his chance.
‘He’s a wonderful talent. I’d probably still have him in the squad. I understand he’s not playing week in, week out but he could be England’s left-back for the next decade or so. He’s fantastic.’
Carragher: Trent didn’t expect to be in this squad
Quizzed about Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish being left out, Carragher added: ‘Trent has just got back fit. Jude Bellingham was in this same situation last month.
‘I don’t think Trent would’ve expected to have been in this squad. But he has been left out of a few squads now so that is a worry for him in terms of the World Cup. But it’s still a long way off.
‘With Jack, he’s done really well at Everton. There’s a lot of players in those attacking midfield roles now. That’s where we have players in abundance.
‘And it looks like he’s gone for younger players with more pace in terms of Anthony Gordon. Grealish is more of a player with the ball at his feet.
‘Maybe he’s gone for the extra pace and to be fair, Gordon has done really well for England as of late. But there’s a lot of football still to be played before the World Cup.
‘If Alex Scott can get into this squad now when no-one expected it, why can’t Alexander-Arnold and Grealish get back in before the World Cup?’
Carragher teams up with Sky Bet and BHF to launch major new awareness campaign
Carragher is spearheading the next phase of Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s Every Minute Matters campaign with a month-long awareness drive to equip grassroots clubs with CPR and defibrillation skills.
‘Too many people still think you have to be a medical professional to step in, but that’s simply not true,’ Carragher explained.
‘Anyone can learn these lifesaving skills. It doesn’t matter who you are or what level you play at, in the Championship, Sunday league, five-a-side or walking football, if someone collapses, you want the confidence to act.
‘And that confidence comes from training. That’s why I’m urging everyone in grassroots football to take 15 minutes to learn CPR and defibrillation with the BHF’s brilliant free online tool, RevivR.’