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Tuchel’s Madrid scouting trip highlighted Kane and Bellingham as key for England, with Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup role uncertain.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel travelled to Madrid for a World Cup reconnaissance mission and witnessed a thrilling Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, which Bayern won 2-1.
Tuchel was monitoring England trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham, and captain Harry Kane. The match offered confirmation of Bellingham and Kane's value to England ahead of their World Cup opener against Croatia in Arlington on 17 June, while Alexander-Arnold's inconsistent performance may reinforce doubts about his role.
Alexander-Arnold, 27, who joined Real Madrid from Liverpool last summer, struggled early. He misdirected a pass to Michael Olise and was beaten by former Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz for Bayern's opening goal, highlighting Tuchel's ongoing concerns over his defending. However, the defender also produced dangerous set-pieces and a low cross for Kylian Mbappe's goal, demonstrating his attacking threat, despite a match pass completion of just 69.2%.
Bellingham, recovering from a hamstring injury, was introduced after an hour and immediately impacted the game with driving runs that shifted Real's tempo. His performance reinforced why Tuchel may find it hard to overlook him for the number 10 role, where he faces competition from Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, and Eberechi Eze.
Kane started for Bayern despite recent fitness concerns, receiving cheers from thousands of travelling supporters. He appeared sluggish in the first half but soon reminded observers of his importance, scoring with a precise 20-yard low drive shortly after halftime. England's record goalscorer now has 78 goals in 112 appearances, underscoring his crucial role for both club and country.
Tuchel's trip offered a clear assessment: Bellingham and Kane are indispensable for England's World Cup plans, while Alexander-Arnold remains a question mark whose inclusion will depend on form and consistency.
