England boss Thomas Tuchel has handed an Arsenal star a brutal ultimatum over his World Cup hopes.
The Three Lions manager has made it clear Myles Lewis-Skelly must start playing more football if he wants to keep his international dream alive.
According to Sky Sports, Tuchel has warned the Gunners ace that he “needs to be playing more football” to remain in contention for England’s World Cup squad.
It’s a clear message from the German boss and one that puts pressure on the player and his club ahead of a crucial few months.
The Arsenal man has endured a frustrating start to the season at the Emirates, struggling to secure regular minutes under Mikel Arteta.
Despite being highly rated within the club, he’s found himself behind Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie in the defensive pecking order.
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To make matters worse, even others have been preferred at right-back recently, leaving him watching from the bench more often than not.
Tuchel’s warning couldn’t have been clearer. Speaking at England‘s training base ahead of the game against Serbia, he insisted the youngster “has to be more than a good tourist” if he wants to make the World Cup.
That remark has raised eyebrows and underlined just how competitive England’s defensive positions have become.
The six-time capped England international only recently committed his future to Arsenal by signing a new five-year contract, a sign of how much faith the club still has in his potential.
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But that long-term backing won’t count for much with Tuchel, who has shown he values form and fitness over reputation.
The latest England squad saw, Marc Guehi and Trent Alexander-Arnold miss out.
As SunSport has previously reported, Tuchel has already shown he’s not afraid to make tough calls, leaving out several big names in recent months including Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham who has made a return in this international break.
That ruthless approach means Lewis-Skelly has a fight on his hands to prove he deserves to stay in the frame and to show he can handle the demands of top-level football.
With the World Cup fast approaching, the clock is ticking for him to turn his season around.
