Gareth Southgate makes bold move by dropping 23-year-old star from England squad to face Germany: Reports

Gareth Southgate has reportedly left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his England squad to face Germany in the Nations League this evening.

According to The Athletic, the under-fire Three Lions boss has also left Fikayo Tomori, James Ward-Prowse, and Jarrod Bowen for the clash at Wembley Stadium.

Despite Alexander-Arnold's exceptional displays for Liverpool over the past few seasons and his undoubted talent, he has failed to nail down a place for England. The 23-year-old has earned just 17 caps for his country and faces fierce competition at right-back from the likes of Kyle Walker, Reece James, and Kieran Trippier.

The Liverpool defender missed last summer's European Championships due to injury. His place in the squad for the upcoming World Cup now also appears to be in jeopardy. The four that have been left out of the squad to face Germany also played no part in England's 1-0 defeat against Italy last time out.

The Three Lions were relegated from Nations League Division A following their loss at San Siro, having not won a single game during the campaign. Alexander-Arnold's omission from the Germany game means he will have played just five of his nation's 31 previous games.

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Pundit claims England star is 'Championship level' defensively

Alexander-Arnold has started all nine of Liverpool's games this season, but has been dound wanting defensively on numerous occasions.

The full-back's incredible number of assists in recent seasons has been invaluable for the Reds, but many are beginning to question his form. Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has slammed the Englishman for his defensive abilities, as he told Journal du Dimanche:

"Look at Trent Alexander-Arnold. I love the guy, his offensive qualities. But defensively, he's Championship level. Only Klopp's system works for him. When it doesn't work as well as it has this season, all you see is his defensive shortcomings."

"I want to take him with me to work on the basics. I would say to him: 'Turn your head and look behind you, it will be better already.' It was Roberto Carlos who deformed generations of defenders."

The Liverpool-born defender is yet to register an assist this season, with his two goals coming in the Community Shield and during his team's 9-0 win over Bournemouth.