England squad announcement live: Tuchel denies rift with Bellingham or Foden after leaving duo out
Tuchel promised a ‘brave’ selection and has stuck to his word ahead of facing Wales in a friendly and a World Cup qualifier in Latvia
Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have been left out of the latest England squad named by Thomas Tuchel this morning.
Tuchel promised a “brave” England selection following the 5-0 win in Serbia last month, in what was the standout result of his time in charge, and he has responded by sticking with largely the same group ahead of a friendly against Wales at Wembley and a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on 14 October.
It means there is no place for Bellingham, just two days after being announced 2024/25 England men's senior player of the year. The 22-year-old is back playing for Real Madrid after missing the start of the season due to his recovery from shoulder surgery, while Foden and Grealish, who have returned to form at Manchester City and Everton respectively, are also not included.
Bukayo Saka returns from injury, however, replacing the injured Noni Madueke, but Adam Wharton also misses out, with Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek among the midfield options next to Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers. Cole Palmer, Tino Livramento and Trent Alexander-Arnold were unavailable due to injury.
“It’s only three weeks now since the last camp and the last win [against Serbia], the last performance,” Tuchel said. “So the question was, why not bring the same group in? Because they set the standards and now it is about creating habits out of it.”
Follow the latest updates and reaction from the England squad announcement in our live blog below
Everything you need to know for the October internationals
Thanks for tuning in for our coverage of England’s squad announcement for the October international break. If you’re just catching up now, here’s the 24-man squad picked by Thomas Tuchel and the two fixtures that are in store.
England squad for October internationals
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Reece James, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence.
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Ollie Watkins.
Fixtures
9 October: England vs Wales, international friendly (7:45pm BST, Wembley Stadium)
14 October: Latvia vs England, World cup qualifier (7:45pm BST, Daugava Stadium)
World Cup 2026 kick-offs likely to be after midnight in UK to combat searing US heat
Fifa are increasingly likely to schedule World Cup matches involving European nations after midnight UK time next year in a bid to combat the heat problems that plagued this summer’s Club World Cup.
It appeared the inaugural Club World Cup, held across the United States, had offered a glimpse into how matches would be formatted ahead of next year’s World Cup, with the earliest kick-offs scheduled at 5pm BST before being followed by games at 8pm, 11pm and 2am.
The 5pm and 8pm kick-offs were in place to suit European broadcasters but caused a problem for player welfare, with these games often taking place when the American summer heat was at its peak. The 5pm kick-off would be at midday on the US east coast, while the 8pm kick-off time would be at midday on the west coast.
World Cup 2026 kick-offs likely to be after midnight in UK to combat searing US heat
Fifa says Donald Trump can’t move World Cup matches despite threat to ‘left lunatic’ cities
Fifa vice-president Victor Montagliani has confirmed that any decision to move 2026 World Cup matches away from host cities would rest with Fifa, not Donald Trump.
This follows remarks made last week by the United States President, who spoke about the possibility of relocating games from cities he considered "dangerous".
While Fifa president Gianni Infantino has developed a close bond with Trump, whose country is co-hosting the finals alongside Canada and Mexico, Montagliani insisted that all host city decisions remain a matter for Fifa.
Fifa says Trump can’t move World Cup matches despite threat to ‘left lunatic’ cities
New World Cup ball will help refereeing decisions, claims Adidas
Adidas has unveiled its official match ball for next summer's World Cup and claimed the Trionda's new technology will enable faster offside decisions and help identify handball offences.
England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham helped launch the ball, the name of which translates as ‘three waves’, featuring a red, green and blue design to represent the three host nations – the USA, Mexico and Canada.
But Adidas said the most advanced features of the ball are hidden from view, with the Trionda featuring the company's latest “connected ball technology” to aid in-game officiating decisions and offering more insight into gameplay.
New World Cup ball will help refereeing decisions, claims Adidas
Thomas Tuchel denies rift with Jude Bellingham as he explains Foden and Grealish omissions from England squad
Thomas Tuchel insisted he has no personal problem with Jude Bellingham and said he wanted to retain the same squad who thrashed Serbia 5-0 in England’s last match as he explained why several big names were missing from the group.
Tuchel said: “Jude is a very special player, and for special players there can always be special rules. I get this. But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team. That applies also then for Jude, he deserves always to be in camp.
“I think there is an extra layer on top, the situation that he has not gathered fully rhythm yet at Real Madrid. He is back in the team. He hasn’t finished one full match until now, he has only started one match, so he is in the period where he gets his rhythm, where he gets back to full strength. But the decision stayed for this camp.
“He wanted to be called up, we had a phone call, there is no issue from that side, he just lacks rhythm, he hasn’t finished one complete match. And on top of it, we decided to go with the same squad.”
Asked whether he has any personal issues with Bellingham after branding him as “repulsive” in the summer, Tuchel added: “No. There is also no problem between me and Phil Foden, there is no problem between me and Jack Grealish. Very special players. Phil is back to influencing games, deciding games for Manchester City. Jack is very close to be the best version of himself, a very special player, a very special character.
“There is no problem at all, there is no personal problem.”
Tuchel denies rift with Bellingham as he explains major omissions from England squad
Is Myles Lewis-Skelly's World Cup dream in trouble?
Thomas Tuchel seemed to issue a warning to Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has seen his minutes at Arsenal limited this season but nevertheless was called back up to the squad.
The England boss noted that he benefited from the decision to stick with the same squad used in September but that "just being a good citizen in the camp won't be enough" going forward.
Having played second fiddle to Riccardo Calafiori this term, could Lewis-Skelly’s seat on the plane be in jeopardy?
Myles Lewis-Skelly receives stern warning from Tuchel Tuchel over Arsenal role
Thomas Tuchel back in the hot seat
Key takeaways from Thomas Tuchel's press conference
Just joining us? Here are the key points from Thomas Tuchel’s press conference following the announcement of the latest England squad:
- Tuchel took the “straightforward” decision to pick the same squad seen in September to build on the progress made.
- He insists there is no rift with Jude Bellingham after his omission, stating that he “always deserves to be in the camp”, but emphasises the importance on not being dependent on individuals.
- He also says there is no problem with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, with the in-form duo also missing out.
- Myles Lewis-Skelly was the main beneficiary of Tuchel’s decision not to switch things up after seeing minutes limited at Arsenal, but “just being a good citizen” will be enough for selection going ahead.
- Adam Wharton, Curtis Jones and Trevoh Chalobah were namedropped as those unlucky to miss out as Tuchel told players not in the squad to “just keep pushing”, with “absolutely no guarantees” for the current crop when it comes to selection.
Tuchel wraps up
And that’s all for the non-embargoed section.
There’ll be more to come later tonight from the England boss.
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