Tuchel States No Issue with Jude Bellingham, Foden, or Jack Grealish

Media Caption: Tuchel on the Real Madrid Star

Thomas Tuchel asserted that he has "no conflict" with Phil Foden after these players were omitted the Three Lions squad for forthcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia.

Bellingham did not earn a recall despite recovering from a shoulder injury, whereas Foden and Grealish are also absent although showing a return to form with their respective clubs.

The German manager revealed that the 22-year-old wanted to be included of the squad, after a conversation with him via telephone.

"He is a special player, and for special players there can often be special rules," the coach said about Bellingham, who's made just one start since returning to fitness.

"However we opted to maintain the straightforward decision of calling up the identical squad.

"Bellingham always deserves to be here. There is the factor that he has not quite regained his full rhythm yet at Real Madrid - he has not finished a full game.

"The player expressed a desire to be selected. We conducted a telephone conversation."

Tuchel made an effort to highlight his positive relationship with the midfielder following he said sorry to him earlier this year for calling his on-pitch behavior as "repulsive" in a televised interview.

The German explained that he uttered those terms "unintentionally" and would be more careful in future.

Inquired if he had a problem with Bellingham, Tuchel responded: "No. There is no issue either with Phil Foden or Jack Grealish.

"Foden is back to influencing and deciding games for Manchester City. Grealish is almost to being back to the top form of himself.

"There is no personal problem."

Bukayo Saka replacing the injured Noni Madueke is the only change to last month's team, with Loftus-Cheek and Jarell Quansah keeping their spots after being last-minute call-ups last month due to fitness concerns.

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on this Thursday before a qualifying match in the Latvian capital on October 14.

Should the team triumph in Latvia, they will require a up to two more points from their final two matches - against Serbia and Albania in November - to earn a spot in the upcoming World Cup in North America.

Strong Performance By the Manager

The Three Lions produced their best display significantly under Tuchel's leadership when they defeated the Serbian team 5-0 away in Belgrade last time out.

The coach says that performance made it an straightforward choice to keep mostly the identical group, though "there exist no certainties" for any player regarding being picked.

"The last camp was only three and a half weeks ago and the cohesion and spirit was at its peak. That is why we chose to invite the same group to this camp," he commented.

"Foden is in a excellent run of form. Adam Wharton deserves to be with us. Jones and Trevoh Chalobah are earning minutes with their teams.

"There are players who deserve to be here. Palmer is injured and is a key talent. It will consistently remain like this.

"Is our team a better team with Jude? Absolutely. But I mentioned before, what do we do if he is unavailable before the World Cup? Do we simply give up?"

Tuchel's Press Conference Gets Noticed

The England manager again delivered a box office press briefing.

Tuchel, a master of handling his interactions with the media, began with an opening statement to explain his reasoning for his decisions.

Bellingham is ready to play and expressed interest to come to the squad, but Tuchel has said he preferred not to alter the team too much after a impressive 5-0 victory over their opponents - where the manager noted unity was at an all-time high.

But with him not selecting the star, and his frequent comments about team spirit, it is hard not to connect the two - although he said multiple times how Bellingham is "exceptional" and that there is "no problem" between Tuchel and one of England's key talents.

Tuchel has always made it evident that he wanted to make the England squad seem like a club side and, by retaining the identical selection after a big victory, he has achieved that. But the questions will come again in the next camp if the team perform strongly in these next two matches.

Jennifer Davis
Jennifer Davis

An avid hiker and travel writer passionate about exploring the UK's landscapes and sharing practical advice for outdoor enthusiasts.

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