Thomas Tuchel has made the headline call in England's latest squad by naming Jobe Bellingham for the first time. At 21, he goes in after just eight Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund this season, with two assists and 558 minutes behind him. Cole Palmer is left out again, while Jude Bellingham is also in the squad.
Tuchel's call on Jobe
The call-up will read as a surprise to plenty of people, and some outlets went even further. SPORT1 described it as a “completely unexpected decision by Tuchel”, while another report said it was something that “probably saw no one coming”. That view exists for a reason, because Jobe is still early in his run at Dortmund.
The football case is there as well. He has already played four Champions League matches this season, and his 6.58 rating in that competition is slightly above his 6.57 Bundesliga mark. Those are not huge numbers on their own, but they do suggest a player trusted in more than just cameos.
The brothers and the players left out
The family angle is obvious now that Tuchel has called up both Bellingham brothers for the first time. Jobe is receiving his first senior England call-up, and Jude's own season at Real Madrid has produced 11 appearances, four goals and three assists. England face Croatia on 12 November and Spain on 15 November, so the chance to see both brothers together arrives quickly.
Palmer's omission is the other selection story. A Bola reported that he is not in the squad, and Phil Foden is also left out. Palmer has nine Premier League appearances this season, with three goals and three assists, so this is not a case of England overlooking a player with nothing on his club record. Tuchel has clearly backed a different group for this camp, and Jobe is the one who gives the squad list its biggest twist.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
