England's Star Trio Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish Shock Fans with Squad Absence
England boss Thomas Tuchel has explained his decision to exclude Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish from his squad for the forthcoming matches against Wales and Latvia.
Bellingham was absent from the September international break but returned to action for Real Madrid towards the end of last month, featuring in four matches following his comeback, including a starting role in the 5–2 loss against Atlético Madrid.
Doubts emerged regarding Bellingham's match fitness upon his return, which the German coach addressed when discussing his exclusion from the squad.
"The team chemistry and collective spirit reached exceptional heights previously, which influenced our choice to recall the identical group for this international window," Tuchel explained. "Jude possesses extraordinary talent, and exceptional players may sometimes warrant exceptional considerations. I understand this perspective. However, for this particular camp, we chose to maintain our consistent approach of selecting the same squad, and this principle extends to Jude as well.
Tuchel: Bellingham Desired England Selection But Lacks Match Sharpness
"He consistently merits inclusion in our setup. However, there's an additional consideration regarding his current situation at Real Madrid where he hasn't yet regained his playing rhythm. While he's returned to the squad, he hasn't completed a full 90 minutes and has only made one start, so he's currently in the phase of rebuilding his match fitness and returning to peak condition.
"He expressed his desire for selection. We spoke on the phone, and there were no fresh injury concerns. He simply needs more playing time to regain his sharpness."
Bellingham hasn't represented England since June, when Tuchel criticized his on-pitch conduct as "repulsive." The manager subsequently apologized for his remarks, clarifying that he had chosen an inappropriate word in his non-native language.
When reminded of these previous comments in light of his admission that team morale was at its peak during the last camp without Bellingham, the England manager chuckled and stated firmly: "These two matters are completely unrelated."
Tuchel: No Issues With Foden and Grealish
Tuchel's selection also omitted Manchester City's Phil Foden and Everton loanee Jack Grealish. Both players missed the September squad despite impressive club performances recently.
"There are absolutely no personal conflicts between myself and Phil Foden, or between myself and Jack Grealish - they are both exceptional talents," Tuchel emphasized. "Phil has returned to his influential form, making decisive contributions for Manchester City. Jack is approaching his peak performance level. There are no personal disputes whatsoever."
Tuchel expressed his gratitude for the players selected during the September international break, indicating that the continued omission of Foden and Grealish reflects England's current squad depth and intense competition for positions.
The attacking midfield and wide forward positions feature Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen among the selected players.
England will meet Wales on October 9 in a friendly match at Wembley, before continuing their World Cup qualifying campaign with an away fixture in Latvia five days afterward.
England Squad for October 2025 Internationals
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guéhi (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, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)