Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has responded to Gareth Southgate's omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold from the England squad.
The German said he was "surprised" to hear the news he was left out of the team. England manager Southgate cited Trent's recent form and said it had dropped from the standards he had set in the last two seasons.
I was surprised when he didn't get the call-up. I respect the decision, of course I do. But I didn't understand it.
Southgate opted to go for the in-form Kyle Walker and Reece James at right-back in their recent internationals. Kieran Trippier was an option off the bench.
I am a manager myself, I make decisions every day, every weekend, every midweek about team selections and squad selections. We always make decisions that other people probably do not understand.
England have a plethora of options at right-back. While Alexander-Arnold was left out of the squad, Man United's Aaron Wan Bissaka is also in contention with his international future uncertain. Klopp added:
If Trent Alexander-Arnold is not in the squad of England then England must have an extremely good squad, let me say it like this.
Klopp was quick to come to the defense of his first choice defender. Alexander-Arnold started the season with a Covid-19 diagnosis, and has had a lot of game time due to the injury woes in the Liverpool backline.
He started the season with Covid and you can imagine it took him a while to get into the season, but from the moment when he was in the season he was one of our most consistent players ... he is a very ambitious boy and I know he wants to be in the England squad and he will try everything to be there again.
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