England star is AXED entirely by Tuchel from his squad to face Serbia

by · Mail Online

Myles Lewis-Skelly has been left out of England's squad for their match against Serbia.

Boss Thomas Tuchel had 24 players at his disposal but, as per UEFA rules, he could only name 23 and the Arsenal full back has been omitted.

Daily Mail Sport understand Lewis-Skelly's omission is not injury related and is instead a tactical decision made by Tuchel, who is also wary of managing the Gunners' star's minutes.

Lewis-Skelly, 18, played his first, full 90 minutes of the season in England's 2-0 win over Andorra on Saturday evening.

His absence leaves Tuchel turning to other options, with Tino Livramento and Djed Spence among those who could be drafted in to feature in the powderkeg atmosphere of Belgrade's Rajko Mitic Stadium.

The home of Red Star Belgrade is seen as one of the most hostile venues in European football, though it will not be at capacity this evening with 15 per cent of the ground closed as FIFA punishment for racist chanting in a previous game against Andorra.

Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly has been dropped from the England squad to face Serbia
Thomas Tuchel's side have the chance to take a giant step towards next year's World Cup with a win on Tuesday night

England manager Tuchel, who is under scrutiny for several sub-par performances, said: 'The fans, the occasion and opponent will bring out the best from us and I'm looking forward to it. '

'Serbia are so talented and determined. That's the beauty of it and if you want to go to a World Cup and to play for the national team, experiencing this is the beauty. 

'The Champions League is the same. This is one of these nights. Lights are on. Big crowd and an emotional sportive country. And we're up for it.'

Tuchel's men sit top of Group I with four wins from four, knowing another victory would put them within touching distance of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Serbia, boasting Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic in attack, are regarded as their strongest rivals in the group and are expected to provide a stern test.

Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a strong debut campaign for Arsenal but has been restricted to just 44 minutes across their first three league games this season, with Mikel Arteta favouring Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori in the full-back roles.