Gareth Southgate reveals why Kieran Trippier is ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold for England

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Gareth Southgate reveals why Kieran Trippier is ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold for England

England boss Gareth Southgate believes that Kieran Trippier's 'all-round game' is currently better than Trent Alexander-Arnold's and that is why the Liverpool right-back was dropped from Monday's squad to face Germany.

Alexander-Arnold has scarcely featured under Southgate despite his successes at club level and has continually been overlooked for the likes of Reece James, Kyle Walker and Trippier.

Southgate was quizzed about Alexander-Arnold's absence following the Three Lions' 3-3 draw with Germany, and insisted Trippier's versatility and overall game is giving him the edge at the moment.

"The other night [against Italy], we didn’t need the left-back cover, but against Germany we did because of the way we went with the team so we needed Chilly [Ben Chilwell] on the bench and we had Kieran who, at the moment, I feel his all round game is ahead [of Alexander-Arnold]," he said.

"I didn’t want any player to sit in the stand for two matches, so I think the way we manage a group of people has been a big strength for us in the tournaments and we need to do that."

Alexander-Arnold has won 17 England caps since making his debut in 2018, scoring one goal for the Three Lions.

He was part of the squad for the 2018 World Cup, but missed the delayed Euro 2020 through injury.