England fans were left scratching their heads after rising Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly was surprisingly omitted from the squad to face Serbia tonight. The 18-year-old midfielder, who has been touted as one of the brightest young talents in the country, won’t feature in the game despite being part of the original 24-man group.
At first glance, the news sparked concern that the teenager might have picked up an injury or fallen out of favor. However, the real reason is much simpler — and far less alarming.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel was forced to trim his squad to 23 players, as UEFA regulations do not allow teams to register 24. Unfortunately, that meant one unlucky player had to miss out, and Lewis-Skelly was the one sacrificed in this instance.
It’s a tough call for Tuchel, who reportedly rates the youngster highly, but competition for places in midfield is fierce. The decision is not believed to be performance-related, with insiders suggesting the omission was purely down to squad numbers.
