Jude Bellingham: England midfielder has point to prove to Thomas Tuchel despite recall

Jude Bellingham's return to the England squad for their final World Cup qualifiers is only the first phase of his reintegration by head coach Thomas Tuchel.

England's games against Serbia, at Wembley, and in Albania are dead rubbers, with qualification for next summer's showpiece already assured, but for Bellingham the stakes are still high.

Tuchel's message was loud and clear when he made the contentious decision to exclude him from the last England camp, despite the player's desire to be included, when victory in Latvia confirmed their World Cup place.

No star system. No automatic recalls. Not even for the brilliant 22-year-old, who has assumed superstar status since his move to Real Madrid.

Bellingham's return for this camp was inevitable. The notion of England going to the World Cup without such an outstanding talent is unthinkable, but Tuchel's comfort at leaving him out made it clear to the player and his camp that he is a vital squad member - but no more.

Tuchel's, and England's, world will not be revolving around Jude Bellingham.

Now Bellingham must grasp this opportunity to demonstrate he must be an England starter, although his absence last time confirms he has to put in performances - just like any other player - to see off his competition.

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, although more subdued in England's 5-0 win in Riga, has made an outstanding impression on Tuchel, while the deserved return of Manchester City's Phil Foden to the squad after an outstanding start to the season also adds intrigue in the number 10 position.

Tuchel outlined his plans for Foden when he said: "Where Phil played against Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City is where I see him the strongest.

"He is close to the opponent's box and a mix between a number nine and a 10. Phil scores and assists more from the 18-yard box, where he scored against Dortmund. He's in the pockets and assists.

"The main thing about him is that he gets a role in the central part of the pitch. I don't see him as a winger any more. He should have a central role that will bring out his strengths most. We've talked about this already with him."

In other words, Bellingham's place in the squad is clear-cut. His place in Tuchel's starting line-up is not.

The smart money will be on Bellingham starting the World Cup as England's number 10 but he still has work to do, beginning with these next two games.

And this is why, after making his return to the Real Madrid side after shoulder surgery, Bellingham will have even greater motivation to deliver in England's upcoming internationals, despite the wider outcome effectively being meaningless.

Tuchel said: "Jude accepted the decision in the last camp. He did what he does best, competed at the highest level and shows he deserves to be in the squad. This is why he is here.

"I think it's not a surprise for him to compete for us in the number 10 position. He knows from me, and he sees himself as a number 10.

"The key strength of him from number 10 is to find number nine positions. He has a hunger and determination to score, which is what we see for Real Madrid and hopefully, we see that for us as well."

Tuchel's squad, as is his habit, contains a surprise in the shape of Bournemouth's Alex Scott, but the ominous noises he has made previously about Myles Lewis-Skelly's lack of game time at Arsenal, where he has played only 463 minutes this season, have been confirmed by his exclusion - even though he started in Latvia.

This will give Arsenal's talented 19-year-old food for thought if he has designs on playing for England at the World Cup.

Crystal Palace's outstanding midfielder Adam Wharton may finally get the chance to show his quality at England senior level, with injuries and Tuchel's previous decisions to exclude him meaning he has still only had 28 minutes as a substitute against Bosnia-Herzegovina in June 2024.

The speculation about a recall for Brighton's Danny Welbeck did not result in his inclusion. The 34-year-old's form is testimony to his endurance, quality and superb professionalism, but a comeback after seven years away from England would not have reflected well on the alternatives to captain Harry Kane.

The cupboard is still not overflowing with ready-made alternatives for England's record goalscorer. Tuchel has left out Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, although he stressed he is playing through pain at present.

Marcus Rashford, undergoing a renaissance on loan at Barcelona, has the potential to play centrally, although Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon - who may still miss out with a hip injury - has been used in that position by club manager Eddie Howe but never looked a good fit.

Tuchel's latest squad does not spell good news for two England internationals who will harbour hopes of going to the World Cup, Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold and on-loan Everton forward Jack Grealish.

To cap a miserable week for Alexander-Arnold, who was given a vitriolic reception on his return to Anfield when Liverpool beat Madrid in the Champions League, he is again left out. His World Cup hopes fade further with every squad missing his name.

The same applies to Grealish, who has performed with credit at Everton, but not yet with enough sparkle to convince Tuchel he should force his way into a wide area where England are well blessed.

Bellingham, as ever, is the headline news - now he must demonstrate to Tuchel that England simply cannot contemplate winning the World Cup without him.

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