Confirmed: Trent Alexander-Arnold starts for England for first time in almost two years vs Czechia

Confirmed: Trent Alexander-Arnold starts for England for first time in almost two years vs Czechia Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has been named in the starting lineup for their UEFA Nations League game against Czechia. This marks the 27-year-old defender’s first start for the Three Lions in almost two years, with his last start coming way back in October 2024, against Finland in the Nations League as well. Trent had fallen out of favour under new England boss Thomas Tuchel over the past year or so. In fact, his last appearance for the national team came in June 2025, in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra. The defender was overlooked for the World Cup by Tuchel despite England going into the tournament with injuries to the manager’s regular right-back options. However, following a decent start to the new season under Jose Mourinho, Trent has earned his way back into the national team setup and starts tonight against Czechia. So far in 2026/27, the defender has played 292 minutes across five games for the Spanish heavyweights, registering one assist in the process. The 27-year-old ace will be intent on putting up a strong performance so as to cement his place in Tuchel’s plans for the future. Meanwhile, Trent’s Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham has been benched by the manager, after the attacking midfielder started against Spain over the weekend.