Jude Bellingham has said he would love to return to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers next week but added that selection is out of his hands.
The Real Madrid midfielder was left out of the England squad for last month’s qualifiers against Latvia and Wales, with Tuchel referencing his lack of game time following shoulder surgery as the reason for his exclusion.
The injury had kept him out of the England’s two September qualifiers as well, with his last appearance for England coming in the loss to Senegal in June.
The tension between player and manager came to the fore in the aftermath of that game, with Tuchel dubbing Bellingham’s on-field behaviour as “repulsive.” It was a remark that Tuchel later issued an apology for.
The England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania will be announced on Friday, and Tuchel had previously said he would reach out to Bellingham for them.
“It’s not my call,” Bellingham said in an interview to Amazon Prime, when asked if he will be selected.
“I think you know whose call it is.”
“I would love to be [picked] but it’s not my call. I’ll be waiting to see.”
– Tuchel’s Bellingham stance could help England at World Cup
– Bellingham defends Alexander-Arnold after Liverpool boos
Bellingham was in action on English soil on Tuesday, when his Madrid side faced Liverpool in the Champions League. However, Tuchel did not attend the game.
England have already sealed their place at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
