Jude Bellingham to earn England recall
Jude Bellingham is expected to return to the England squad when manager Thomas Tuchel announces his final selection of the year on Friday, sources confirmed to ESPN. The 22-year-old midfielder, who missed last month’s fixtures, is set to be recalled for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania following a strong run of form for Real Madrid.
Bellingham was a surprise omission in October as he continued his recovery from shoulder surgery undergone during the summer. Tuchel at the time insisted there was “no problem” between him and the player, who had only recently returned to action and was yet to complete a full 90 minutes for his club.
Since then, Bellingham has re-established himself as a key figure at Real Madrid, scoring in three consecutive matches before featuring for the entire 90 minutes in Tuesday’s 1–0 Champions League defeat at Liverpool. His resurgence has prompted Tuchel to include him in a 25-man squad, marking his first call-up since June’s loss to Senegal.
Tuchel has largely maintained continuity during England’s flawless World Cup qualifying campaign, with six wins from six matches and no goals conceded. The German coach has publicly emphasized the value of stability but is now prepared to reintegrate Bellingham, whose dynamism, technical quality, and leadership are viewed as central to England’s midfield balance.
Reports of tension between Tuchel and Bellingham surfaced after the midfielder’s previous exclusion, particularly following Tuchel’s comments suggesting aspects of the player’s behaviour were “repulsive” to his mother. The England manager later apologized for those remarks, clarifying that his comments had been made in poor taste.
Bellingham’s return adds further competition to England’s midfield options ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals. Meanwhile, Tuchel is also considering recalls for Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, while veteran striker Danny Welbeck, 34, is pushing for inclusion after scoring six goals in as many games for Brighton.
Bellingham’s expected recall underlines England’s commitment to integrating top-performing talent ahead of the World Cup, with Tuchel eager to balance squad harmony and individual excellence as qualification nears completion.