Questions kept coming at England coach Thomas Tuchel over his decision to leave the midfielder out of the squad.
“I understand why you are so interested in Jude,” Tuchel admitted at one point, as questions kept coming in about Jude Bellingham. The England coach acknowledged that having this midfielder would strengthen the team even further. Yet he explained the reasons for leaving such a talented player out.
Tuchel did not include Bellingham in England’s squad for the friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia. He retained the same squad that won against Andorra and Serbia last month. As a result, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were also left out.
Bellingham underwent surgery before the start of the season to overcome a long-standing shoulder issue, keeping him off the field for a significant part of the season.
He has recently returned to action for Real Madrid. However, according to Tuchel, the 22-year-old midfielder has yet to reach his best level in terms of fitness and performance.
“Of course he is a special player. Special players can always have special rules and arrangements. That’s not a problem. But for this camp, we decided to keep the previous squad. We didn’t want to overthink it,” Tuchel said.
“There’s also another factor. At Real Madrid, he hasn’t fully regained his rhythm. He is back in the team, but he hasn’t yet played a full match. He has only started once in the eleven.”
Tuchel confirmed that he has spoken with Bellingham personally, and the midfielder had wanted to be part of England’s squad.
When asked if there were any personal issues or tensions between him and Bellingham, Tuchel addressed past incidents, including Bellingham’s kick at the water cooler after the Senegal defeat in June, which had sparked criticism over remarks from Tuchel’s mother. He expressed regret over the controversy.
Questions about his relationship with Foden and Grealish also come up regularly. Tuchel dismissed these concerns, emphasizing that he tests multiple options to ensure squad depth.
“No, there is no problem with anyone. There’s no issue with Phil, no issue with Jack. They are all special players. Phil has started to make a good impact for Manchester City, and Jack is close to his best form,” he said.
“Would our team be stronger with Jude? Absolutely! Is he one of the best midfielders in the world? Certainly. But football is a team game. We have to find solutions in different areas. In the last camp, we found that solution. Injuries to influential players can happen at any time. Relying on one player is never ideal.”
If England win the match against Latvia on October 14 and other results go their way, they could secure a spot in the World Cup on the same day.
