Why I snubbed Jude Bellingham from latest squad — England boss Tuchel explains

England are gearing up for two upcoming fixtures, a friendly against Wales and a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel has announced his latest squad, with several high-profile absentees drawing attention, most notably Jude Bellingham. The 22-year-old midfielder has returned to fitness and featured for Real Madrid in recent weeks, but Tuchel and his staff have opted not to take any chances with his condition.

When questioned about Bellingham’s omission, Tuchel explained his reasoning clearly.

“I understand the focus on Jude, he is a special player and for special players there can always be special rules, I get this. But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team.

That applies also to Jude. He deserves always to be in camp.”

Tuchel went on to provide further insight into the decision, highlighting Bellingham’s gradual return to match fitness: “I think there is an extra layer on top of it, the situation that he has not gathered fully rhythm yet at Real Madrid.

"He is back in the team, he hasn’t finished one full match until now, he has only started one match. He is at the moment in the period where he gets his rhythm, where he gets back to full strength.

"There is this extra layer to the decision. The decision stayed for this camp.” Bellingham is expected to return to the England setup later this year once he regains full fitness and rhythm at club level."