Tuchel Insists No Problem with Bellingham, Phil Foden, or Jack Grealish

Media Caption: The England Coach discussing the Real Madrid Star

England's Head Coach Thomas Tuchel stated that he holds "no problem" with Phil Foden following these players were left out the Three Lions squad for upcoming fixtures against Latvia and Wales.

The midfielder has not been recalled even after returning from a shoulder injury, while Foden and Grealish are also absent although showing improved form with their respective clubs.

Tuchel mentioned that Bellingham wanted to be part of the selection, after a conversation with him via telephone.

"Bellingham is a special player, and for exceptional talents there can often be special rules," Tuchel remarked regarding Bellingham, who's only started once since returning to full health.

"But we opted to stick with the straightforward choice of calling up the identical squad.

"Bellingham consistently merits to be here. There is also the situation that he has not fully found his optimal form yet at his club - he has not completed a full match.

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

The England boss made an effort to emphasize his good rapport with the midfielder following he apologized to him previously for calling his conduct during a match as "disgusting" in a televised interview.

Tuchel explained that he uttered those terms "without meaning to" and would be more cautious going forward.

Inquired if he had a problem with the player, he said: "None. There is no issue either with Foden or Grealish.

"Phil is returning to influencing and shaping games for his club. Grealish is almost to being back to the best version of himself.

"There exists no personal problem."

Saka taking the place of the injured Madueke is the only change to last month's team, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jarell Quansah retaining their places after joining as last-minute call-ups last month due to fitness concerns.

England play Wales in a friendly at Wembley on this Thursday before a World Cup qualifier in Riga on October 14.

Should England win in Latvia, they will require a up to two more points from their final two matches - against Serbia and Albania in next month - to earn a spot in next summer's World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Impressive Display By Tuchel

The Three Lions produced their finest performance by some distance under the manager's guidance when they beat the Serbian team five-nil on the road in the Serbian capital last time out.

The coach stated that showing meant it an easy decision to stick with largely the identical group, though "there are absolutely no guarantees" for every squad member regarding being picked.

"Our previous gathering was only three and a half weeks ago and the cohesion and morale was at its peak. That is the reason we chose to call up the same group to this session," he said.

"Phil is in a very good moment. Wharton merits to be with us. Curtis Jones and Chalobah are getting playing time with their teams.

"There are players who deserve to be here. Palmer is injured and is a special player. It will always be the case.

"Is our team a better team with Jude? Absolutely. But I mentioned before, what do we do if Jude is injured before the World Cup? Do we just cancel?"

Tuchel's Press Conference Draws Attention

The England manager again delivered a headline-grabbing press briefing.

Tuchel, a expert of handling his interactions with the media, started with an initial remarks to explain his reasoning for his decisions.

Bellingham is ready to play and wanted to join to the squad, but Tuchel has said he preferred not to change the squad too much after a impressive 5-0 win over Serbia - where the boss said unity was extremely strong.

However with him not selecting the star, and his repeated comments about team spirit, it is difficult to avoid connect the two - even though he said repeatedly how Bellingham is "special" and that there is "no issue" between him and one of the national team's key talents.

The England manager has consistently made it evident that he wanted to make the national team feel like a club side and, by keeping the same squad after a big victory, he has achieved that. But the inquiries will arise once more in the following session if England perform strongly in these upcoming fixtures.

John Barker
John Barker

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