Thomas Tuchel's decision to omit several high-profile players from his England World Cup squad has raised eyebrows, but one omission in particular has stunned two Paris Saint-Germain stars. Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly, who impressed in the Champions League final against PSG, was left out of the Three Lions' campaign.
Tuchel's controversial squad choices
Tuchel, the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss, opted for a more workmanlike squad, leaving out regulars like Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, and Phil Foden. Surprise call-ups included Dan Burn, Jordan Henderson, and Ivan Toney. A late injury to Tino Livramento forced Tuchel to promote Trevoh Chalobah from standby, despite other viable candidates like Luke Shaw and Maguire being available.
Chalobah's versatility vs. Lewis-Skelly's potential
Explaining Chalobah's inclusion, Tuchel said: 'We called Trevoh Chalobah because then we free up Jarell Quansah as a full back on both sides and Djed Spence both sides as a full-back. So Trevoh comes as a centre-back alternative and gives us full coverage in the back four.' However, Lewis-Skelly's ability to play at full-back and central midfield could have offered similar versatility. The Hale End graduate made a stunning breakthrough two seasons ago, scoring on his senior England debut under Tuchel, but his indifferent start last season saw him deemed surplus by Mikel Arteta after the signing of Piero Hincapie. He later thrived in a central midfield role and delivered a polished display in the Champions League final against PSG.
PSG stars react to Lewis-Skelly's snub
That performance left a lasting impression on PSG's Goncalo Ramos and Nuno Mendes. Discussing various teams, the pair were stunned to learn Lewis-Skelly missed out. On Pedro Teixeira Da Mota's YouTube channel, Ramos asked: 'And so there's no Lewis-Skelly?' Mendes replied: 'No, no.' Ramos said: 'No? Look, he's not there either. No... strange. I thought he got the call-up. He's not in the midfield? Midfielders, look. I was pretty sure he was called up.' Mendes confirmed: 'Ya, he's not there either.' Ramos added: 'No and notice, not only is he not there, in the news of the guys who are out, he's not there either! He was not called up by the newspaper. Like he was a starter for the Arsenal games, Premier League champion, and he plays at left-back.'
