Why Chelsea’s Tuchel Shockingly Excluded Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham from England Squad: The Untold Reason Revealed

England is gearing up for a pivotal World Cup qualifier this October that could finally punch their ticket to the 2026 showdown. But here’s a twist you might not have seen coming—Thomas Tuchel has opted to leave out Jude Bellingham, arguably one of the squad’s crown jewels. Now, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill omission; it’s layered with careful consideration. Tuchel’s cautious approach stems from Bellingham’s recent shoulder surgery and his struggle to regain full match fitness with Real Madrid, having barely clocked a hundred minutes this season. Despite the setback, the coach made it clear—Bellingham still holds a special place in his plans for England, dubbing him a “special player” deserving of “special rules.” It’s an intriguing gamble right before matches that could seal England’s qualification, and it leaves fans buzzing with questions and anticipation. LEARN MORE

England face a crucial World Cup qualifier during the October international break, one that could secure their place in the 2026 tournament. Despite the importance of the upcoming challenge, Thomas Tuchel chose not to include Jude Bellingham, one of the team’s top stars.

In Friday’s press conference, the head coach spoke about the Real Madrid midfielder. “He wanted to be called up. We had a phone call,” Tuchel admitted, according to the BBC. “But we decided to keep with the straightforward decision of inviting the same group… There is also the situation that he has not quite gathered his full rhythm again at Real Madrid – he has not finished a full match.”

In this way, the German coach confirmed that Bellingham wanted to be part of the squad, but the decision not to include him was based on several factors. The main one, clearly, is the player’s physical condition, as he underwent surgery following the FIFA Club World Cup to address a shoulder injury.

Since then, Jude has played just four matches with Real Madrid. In three of them, he came off the bench, and he started only in the derby against Atletico Madrid, where he was subbed off in the 70th minute after a disappointing performance. So far in the 2025–26 season, he has played just 100 minutes in total.

Despite those concerns, Thomas Tuchel had nothing but praise for Bellingham, underscoring the importance the midfielder holds in his plans for England. “Jude always deserves to be here,” the coach said. “He is a special player, and for special players there can always be special rules.”

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Other absences for England

Jude Bellingham is the most notable omission from England’s squad for the October international break, but he isn’t the only star missing. Asked during the same press conference if there was any issue with the Real Madrid midfielder, Tuchel gave a response that also addressed other players.

“No,” the coach said about Bellingham. “There is also no problem with Phil Foden or Jack Grealish either.” Foden’s absence is particularly surprising, given that he is a key figure for Manchester City and is not dealing with any injuries—he played the full 90 minutes in Wednesday’s Champions League match against AS Monaco.

“This is the decision, if they like it or not,” Tuchel stated, according to BBC Sport. “They know my appreciation, they know I clearly see and observe how good Phil is at the moment for Manchester City.”

England’s full squad list

England currently lead Group K in the World Cup qualifiers with 15 points, seven ahead of Albania. With only three matches remaining, a win over Latvia on Tuesday, October 14, would seal their qualification for the 2026 tournament. First, however, they will play a friendly against Wales on Thursday, October 9.

For these two matches, Thomas Tuchel named a 24-man squad:

• Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
• Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), 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 United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)