Clubs Eye Lewis-Skelly After Tuchel Urges More Game Time

England manager Thomas Tuchel has told Myles Lewis-Skelly he needs more regular minutes if he wants to push for a World Cup place, as a number of Premier League clubs monitor the Arsenal youngster.

Lewis-Skelly was left out of the squad for the upcoming games against Serbia and Albania. Tuchel praised his contribution to the group but warned that being a positive presence is not enough on its own, saying "it is not enough to just be a good tourist." The 19-year-old has managed only 87 minutes of Premier League action this season and appears to have ceded the first-choice left-back role at Arsenal to Riccardo Calafiori.

Several top-flight clubs are keeping tabs on Lewis-Skelly, who has made seven substitute appearances in the league this term. Arsenal, however, are not expected to sell in January as they remain in contention across four major competitions, and the defender recently committed to a new five-year contract. Financially, the club faces no immediate pressure, but any sale of an academy graduate like Lewis-Skelly would count as 100 per cent profit under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakthrough last season, starting regularly in the second half of the campaign and scoring on his England debut against Albania in March. He has won six caps in total and started five of England's last eight matches, but Tuchel opted for Nico O'Reilly after O'Reilly's impressive run at left-back for Manchester City.

"Myles was a very good team-mate and played for us in the last camp in the World Cup qualifier in Riga," Tuchel said after naming the squad, adding that selection comes down to competition and consistent high-level performance. "Myles simply needs more starts, more minutes. Now came a time when O'Reilly had so many starts in that position, so he is slightly ahead for this camp."

Lewis-Skelly's appearances this season have come mainly in cup competitions; he has only started Arsenal's Champions League and Carabao Cup matches so far.