Jude Bellingham left out by England amid 'unexpected debate' at Real Madrid – Tuchel explains why

Robin Bairner

• 3 Oct 2025 09:11 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Jude Bellingham was a surprise omission from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, with the Real Madrid star facing a period of pressure with his club side.

Bellingham missed the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery but has featured in the last four matches for Los Blancos.

The 22-year-old has been eased back gently into the Madrid squad, having been given only 10 minutes off the bench in the midweek Champions League win over Kairat after starting the 5-2 derby loss against Atletico Madrid the previous weekend.

Current ETV

Jude Bellingham 

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham 

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

€143.7M

ETV Range

€129.3M - €158M

View full profile

And it is this lack of action that has prompted Tuchel to leave him out of the England squad.

“He is a special player and for special players there can always be special rules,” Tuchel explained.

“But we decided to keep with the straightforward decision of inviting the same group.

“Jude always deserves to be here. There is also the situation that he is not quite gathered his full rhythm again at Real Madrid - he has not finished a full match.

“He wanted to be called up. We had a phone call.

“There was no awkward conversations, just straightforward conversations.

“There are some players who deserve to be with us, but for this camp we wanted to make it a straightforward decision and stay with the same group.”

Bellingham faces Real Madrid pressure

For Bellingham, the news of being omitted by England comes amid a growing concern in Madrid over his status as a first-team regular.

The rise of Arda Guler and Facundo Mastantuono during his absence has prompted popular newspaper Marca to admit that there is now an “unexpected debate” over the player’s status at the Bernabeu.

It asks: “Where does Jude Bellingham fit into Xabi’s starting XI? No one disputes the Englishman’s quality or impact in the last two seasons… but his shoulder operation could take its toll at a time when two youngsters, Guler and Franco Mastanuono, are being indispensable.”

While missing out on England is a blow personally for Bellingham, it is a chance for him to regain his strength and win back that regular place in the Real Madrid team that suddenly and surprisingly is up for debate.

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