England will be without Jude Bellingham, their 2024–25 Men’s Player of the Year, when they take to the field over the international break.
Bellingham scooped the award on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and became the first player to win the prize while playing for a foreign club in 19 years. However, he was omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad just two days later.
The Three Lions face neighbours Wales in an international friendly before travelling to Latvia for their sixth 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. They have won all five in their group to date and will be desperate to maintain their perfect record in Riga.
But why is Bellingham missing for England’s October duels?
Why Is Jude Bellingham Not Playing for England in October?
Tuchel has cited Bellingham’s lack of game time with Real Madrid this season as the reason behind the midfielder’s snub. The 22-year-old underwent shoulder surgery over the summer and only made his comeback shortly after the September international period.
He’s now played five times for Los Blancos this season but only one of those has been a start. He’s yet to complete a full 90 minutes, either.
“He always deserves to be in camp,” admitted Tuchel when discussing Bellingham’s absence. “There’s an extra layer on top of it, the situation that he hasn’t gathered rhythm yet at Real Madrid.
“He is back in the team, he hasn’t finished one full match, he has only started one match, so he is in the period where he gets his rhythm and back to full strength.
“He wanted to be called up. We had a phone call, there were no [new fitness] issues. He just lacks rhythm.”
England appear unlikely to need Bellingham’s brilliance during the October break given the low stakes of the friendly with Wales and the inferior level of opposition in the clash with Latvia.
Bellingham last played for England in June, with Tuchel describing his on-field behaviour as “repulsive” at the time. The 52-year-old later apologised for his remark, insisting he used the word by mistake due to English being his second language.
When Will Jude Bellingham Play for England Next?
Bellingham will have the opportunity to don an England shirt once more before the end of the calendar year. The Three Lions play two World Cup qualifiers during the November international break, hosting Serbia and visiting Albania.
Providing Bellingham can regain full match fitness and avoid any injury setbacks, he will undoubtedly have the chance to add to his 44 caps next month.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Is Jude Bellingham Not Playing for England in October?.
