Myles Lewis-Skelly dismisses Arsenal issue after England disagreement

Myles Lewis-Skelly was left out of the England squad for the November internationals and has been told by Thomas Tuchel that he needs to play more regularly to be considered

Myles Lewis-Skelly is determined to battle for increased playing time at Arsenal following his omission from England's latest squad.

Lewis-Skelly was overlooked in favour of Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly in Thomas Tuchel's selection for the November internationals, dealing a significant setback to his World Cup aspirations.

The 19 year old left-back enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 campaign at Arsenal, featuring 39 times across all competitions under Mikel Arteta. His impressive club performances earned recognition at international level, with Tuchel awarding him six caps following his debut in March.

However, Lewis-Skelly has found opportunities limited at Arsenal this term, with Riccardo Calafiori establishing himself as the undisputed first-choice left-back in Premier League action, having started all 11 matches.

The academy product has been restricted to seven substitute appearances totalling 92 minutes in the league, whilst starting twice in the Carabao Cup and Champions League.

Tuchel made it plain that, to earn consideration for the World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania, Lewis-Skelly required more regular football.

"Myles was a very good team-mate and played for us in the last camp in the World Cup qualifier in Riga," Tuchel told a press conference. "Myles simply needs more starts, more minutes. Now came a time when Nico O'Reilly had so many starts in that position, so he is slightly ahead for this camp."

The Athletic reports that Tuchel contacted Lewis-Skelly prior to the squad announcement and their discussion went well.

Tuchel reportedly believes Lewis-Skelly shouldn't step back to feature for the England Under-21s, as he now views him as a senior player, though Lee Carsley offered a contrasting perspective when questioned about the prospect.

"It's a situation that we'll monitor," Carsley said. "With this camp at the minute we've got players that I've been monitoring week in, week out, and Myles wasn't one of them because he was playing and training with the seniors. It's something we assess in March.

"We'd love to have Myles with us. I'll communicate with Thomas and we'll definitely come up for a plan with him."

Lewis-Skelly is understood to be resolute in his battle for his position at Arsenal, where Calafiori and summer acquisition Piero Hincapie are also vying for the left-back berth.

"I'm enjoying it," he said last month of the competition. "It's a different experience for me, not playing as much at the moment, but I'm enjoying being part of the team.

"It's important to compete for places and I'm a competitive person, so I'm never going to back down. I enjoy the challenge. Being with these boys is a joy. The standards are high and everyone wants to play. Because the levels are so much higher this season, places are short, but you've just got to compete."