Marcos Alonso has finally earned his way back into the Spain international side. He receives his first call up for his country since 2018 to face Italy in their Nations League clash.
Since his last call up, Alonso has played under four different coaches. Each coach had their different uses for the left wing-back, however, only Thomas Tuchel was able to reignite his chances to return to international duty.
A job well done for Tuchel and a proud moment for Alonso - he's had a tough time being in and out of the squad in recent years. This is a boost in his confidence but also an open window of opportunity for Ben Chilwell to find favour with the Chelsea boss once again.
The debate surrounding Chelsea's left-back options has been reignited since Tuchels arrival in west London. In a position where Chilwell was considered as the first choice under former boss Frank Lampard, Chilwell has now found himself behind Marcos Alonso in the pecking order. The shift in formation from 4-3-3 to 3-4-3 has benefitted Alonso greatly. Chelsea faithful's appreciate Alonso's specialist skillset as a wing-back especially during his time in the 2016/17 season.
Alonso has shown that he is a threat in front of goal and is able to bring an extra attacking dynamic to his team. With that being said, I am sure that this has warranted his call up this time around.
Despite his great form at the start of the season, his performances have had a serious drop off as of late. His defensive qualities have been called into action for matches such as Manchester City and Juventus, and unfortunately, Alonso was unable to deliver.
Fans have become frustrated with the Spaniard as he has recently looked toothless in defence. He just seems to have lost the magic that kept him in Tuchel's favour. Ben Chilwell started ahead of Alonso against Southampton over the weekend which may prove to be the beginning of a new chapter for that left wing-back role.
Taking his new found luck into the grasps of his hands, Chilwell managed to find the back of the net against the Saints. Though he had given away a penalty in the process, the 24-year-old did not let that taint his performance. Belting the final goal for Chelsea, Chilwell proved that he is able to be an attacking threat whilst also remaining solid in recovery and defence.
Whilst Alonso's call up for national duty may come as a step in the right direction for the 30-year-old, it is also an opening for Chilwell to make his mark and finally cement himself in the starting lineups to come.
When asked about his decision-making for using Alonso ahead of Chilwell, Tuchel expressed the fact that Alonso was able to have extra training as he did not have the opportunity to play for Spain during the Euro. He says,
"When he [Chilwell] arrived Marcos Alonso had five weeks in his legs from pre-season. He played the first competitive matches after a fantastic pre-season. He was simply way more ready physically which was natural because of the training session and his fantastic games."
With Alonso out of the picture as he travels with the Spain team, Chilwell could benefit from the extra training sessions with Tuchel. Chilwell had a sensational match on Saturday other than the moment of madness giving a penalty away. His finish to seal all three points the icing on the cake. Missing out on a call up for the England squad, could he possibly take on the challenge and become Chelsea's first choice once again? Guess. we will find out upon Alonso's return from international duty.
What are your thoughts on Alonso's call up for Spain? CareFreeChelsea presenter/ writer Anita Abayomi on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below
