England manager Thomas Tuchel to speak with Jude Bellingham: Details
What's the story
England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will speak to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham before finalizing his squad for the upcoming international camp in November. However, Tuchel has not yet made any decisions about the players he wants to include. The move comes after Bellingham's controversial omission from Tuchel's October squad, despite England securing a spot in next summer's World Cup finals with a resounding 5-0 win over Latvia and an impressive 3-0 friendly victory against Wales.
Clarification
Tuchel will speak to 'big player' Bellingham
When asked whether he will reach out to Bellingham in the aftermath of this camp, Tuchel told Sky Sports News: "I guess so, why not? Of course. He is a big player, an important player." "I will speak to a lot of the guys, and to the guys who get texts from me who are not in camp, because these players who are here now feel the reward, and it is necessary too that I stay in contact with the other guys."
Media focus
Media's Bellingham obsession
Tuchel has also addressed the media's obsession with Bellingham, saying there are other players who deserve to be in the squad. He said, "We have Conor Gallagher, we have Trevoh Chalobah, we have Cole Palmer injured. So there are a lot of players out there who deserve to be with us." Despite this, his teammates have admitted it's been strange not having Bellingham in camp recently.
Confidence
England boss trusts more players
Tuchel has expressed confidence that players already part of his squads will naturally buy into this squad togetherness. He said, "It is not a punishment, they have not done anything wrong, and I feel that when I text them and speak to them, that everyone is keen to come back - this is how it has to be." The England boss also stressed he trusts more players than just those currently in the squad.
Future plans
World Cup belief growing in England camp
Tuchel's next task is to prepare for the third international break in as many months. With England already assured of top spot in Group K, they have qualifiers at home to Serbia and away to Albania. He said, "We want to keep this thing going and we want to be competitive in the next two matches." Tuchel also hinted at a renewed belief that England could be contenders for next summer's World Cup in North America.
Qualification
England qualify for 2026 FIFA World Cup
On Tuesday, England qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a resounding 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga. The win marked the Three Lions's eighth consecutive qualification for the tournament, making them the first European team to secure a spot with two games still to play. Harry Kane was instrumental in this achievement, scoring twice and helping his team dominate their Baltic rivals. After the match, Tuchel praised his team's dominance and aggression.