"Tuchel loved the energy in the camp when his side beat Andorra and excelled against Serbia without Bellingham last month and has seen no reason to alter the group dynamic. Yet that loyalty caused an inevitable stir when he decided not to restore some of his biggest creative talents on Friday. There was no place for Bellingham, who has started only once for Real Madrid this season, and no return for Phil Foden despite the attacker's resurgence at Manchester City."
"However, it was clear to the German that the Madrid midfielder wanted to be called up when the pair spoke on the phone. Tuchel apologised to Bellingham in August for saying that the player's edge can come across in a way that can be a bit repulsive. This time Tuchel was keen to stress there is no problem between him and the 22-year-old but he came ready to defend the omission of England's player of the year for 2024-25."
Thomas Tuchel prioritised team spirit when selecting the England squad for the home friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier in Latvia. He retained the group that produced strong performances against Andorra and Serbia and saw no reason to change the group dynamic. The selection omitted Jude Bellingham, partly attributed to fitness after a shoulder injury, and Phil Foden despite strong club form. Tuchel indicated Bukayo Saka might not have been recalled if Noni Madueke had been fit. Tuchel acknowledged past remarks about Bellingham and insisted there is no personal problem while defending the omission.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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