Jude Bellingham asked to join the England squad for the upcoming international break but was still left out, according to head coach Thomas Tuchel.
England face Wales in a friendly next week before travelling to Latvia for a crucial World Cup qualifier. A win there could secure their spot at the 2026 tournament in North America.
Tuchel confirmed his squad on Friday, sticking largely with the group that featured in last month’s fixtures. The decision meant high-profile players like Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were omitted despite strong club form.
Speaking at his press conference, Tuchel said the decision was based on consistency rather than form alone.
“It’s only three weeks since the last camp and the win against Serbia,” he said. “The question was, why not bring the same group back in? They set the standards and now it’s about creating habits from that.”
Bellingham missed the previous international break while recovering from shoulder surgery. He has recently returned to action for Real Madrid, making four appearances so far, though only one as a starter.
It was initially believed that fitness played a role in his omission, but Tuchel clarified that the 22-year-old was available — and even requested to be selected.
“Jude is a very special player, and for special players, there can always be special rules. I understand this,” Tuchel said. “He wanted to be called up, we spoke on the phone and there’s no issue. But he hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes yet and is still finding rhythm after injury. For this camp, we chose to keep the same squad.”
Tuchel dismissed rumours of any personal issues involving Bellingham or other senior players, after recent reports resurfaced of tension between the pair.
“There is no problem at all, no personal issue,” he said. “And there’s no problem with Phil Foden or Jack Grealish either. These are very special players. Phil is deciding games again for Manchester City, and Jack is close to his best.”
England Squad for October Break
Goalkeepers:
Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders:
Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders:
Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards:
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Man United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
