What else must Mitchell do to earn England recall?
· Yahoo Sports
It is time for the international break and Palace fans are already in the middle of an extended escape from matches.
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Third time was the charm against AEK Larnaca and it is still more than two weeks until Fiorentina arrive at Selhurst Park.
With the World Cup on the horizon, the club has many players aiming to represent their nations on the grandest stage - the latest being Maxence Lacroix, who received a call-up to the France squad.
Dean Henderson and Adam Wharton made it into Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad, yet there will be one Crystal Palace player questioning what else he must do to earn international recognition once again.
A contender for player of the year honours and a model of consistency, Tyrick Mitchell has continued to grow into his wing-back role at Palace. However, successive England managers have preferred midfield converts and right-sided defenders to play on the left side of defence.
It is possible that the modern game has shifted so far towards possession that there is not perceived value in the defence-first defender, under any circumstances. Perhaps during qualifications, where England are a dominant side, that is not an issue. But the World Cup is a different environment entirely.
Variety and flexibility would be the primary arguments for selecting players such as Dan Burn or Harry Maguire, as you can imagine scenarios where an aerially strong defender would be valuable in a knockout situation and to counter specific threats. The same consideration cannot be said for full-back.
The evidence suggests that when Mitchell faces the Premier League's best right wingers, be it Bukayo Saka or Mohamed Salah, he has consistently measured up to their attacking prowess.
Should the day come when England must contend with a player of the calibre of Michael Olise or must hold on to a lead, I would argue there is not a better defender Tuchel could send into the action. Alas, it appears he does not agree.
Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast