<figure id="attachment_3204279" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3204279" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3204279" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/58d92bf6-jude-bellingham-x-thomas-tuchel-08112025.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3204279" class="wp-caption-text">Jude Bellingham’s absence from England’s Latvia win led to rumours of disagreement with manager Thomas Tuchel. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
LONDON: England must use Jude Bellingham&#8217;s intensity and fiery on-field behaviour to their advantage, manager Thomas Tuchel said after calling up the Real Madrid midfielder for next week&#8217;s World Cup qualifiers at home versus Serbia and away against Albania.
Bellingham was left out of Tuchel&#8217;s squad for the 5-0 victory over Latvia last month, which sealed England&#8217;s spot in next year&#8217;s World Cup finals in North America, sparking speculation of a player-manager rift.
Tuchel, who had previously apologised in June for saying that his mother found Bellingham&#8217;s on-field demeanour &#8220;repulsive&#8221;, played down talk of problems between the two in a press conference on Friday.
&#8220;There is no problem with him, there is no problem with the character,&#8221; Tuchel said. &#8220;Jude just has the edge, it is a very good thing because you need a certain edge to reach the heights that he reached.&#8221;
&#8220;I think we all need to help him and encourage him and create an environment in which he can live this edge towards the opponents and towards the goals we are building as a team.&#8221;
&#8220;The message is, &#8216;make sure you keep this thing going and make sure you accelerate the thing because we have something going here, we are building something, we are super-excited that you are back.&#8217; The message is – &#8216;contribute to it.'&#8221;
Phil Foden also returned to the squad, with Tuchel saying he planned to deploy the Manchester City attacker in a more central role behind forward Harry Kane, rather than his usual wide position for England.
Foden scored twice for City in a 4-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday while playing in a similar position behind striker Erling Haaland.
&#8220;(Foden) will be in the number 9-10ish position, in the middle of the pitch,&#8221; the manager said. &#8220;Because I have had this fantasy about him for a long time. I think it suits him the most.&#8221;
&#8220;The second goal (for City) against Dortmund is for me a key trademark Phil Foden goal. So he comes and supports Harry (Kane) more or less, playing maybe for Harry or whatever, in the nine-and-a-half-ish role.&#8221;

MatchPoint Times

England need Bellingham’s edge, says Tuchel

The Real Madrid star, left out of the squad last month, joins England for next week’s qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

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