Richard Keys raises Jude Bellingham dressing room suspicions after emphatic England win
England confirmed their qualification for next summer's World Cup by beating Latvia, but Jude Bellingham was an eye-catching omission from Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad
Jude Bellingham was a standout exclusion from Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad – and Richard Keys believes the Real Madrid star has 'work to do' in the dressing room. Bellingham missed September’s camp after undergoing shoulder surgery in June.
And even though he has since managed to make four appearances for Xabi Alonso’s side, there was no place for him in Tuchel’s 24-man squad for October’s double-header against Wales and Latvia. England claimed a comfortable 3-0 victory over Craig Bellamy’s side at Wembley on Thursday before confirming their qualification for next summer's World Cup by beating Latvia in Riga last night.
Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead after 26 minutes with a low curling finish before Harry Kane scored twice before the interval. An own goal and a late strike from Eberechi Eze sealed the emphatic victory as England shone in Bellingham's absence.
Despite being one of the world's most talented players, Keys suspects that Bellingham might have some 'work to do' with other members of the squad in order to get himself back into Tuchel's plans amid claims he's not close with many of his national team-mates.
"I said it when he got the job and I’ll say it again - it wouldn’t surprise me if Thomas Tuchel wins the World Cup with England," the BeIN Sports presenter said.
"They look really good now. Bellingham has got work to do on squad members to get back in - not so much the coach. He’s simply backing his players."
Speaking at the start of this month, Tuchel insisted there were no problems with Bellingham. He said: “I understand your focus on Jude, of course.
“First of all, he is a very special player and for special players there can always be special rules. I get this.
“But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team. That applies also then for Jude. He deserves always to be in camp.
“I think there is an extra layer on top of it, the situation that he has not gathered full rhythm yet at Real Madrid.
“He is back in the team. He hasn’t finished one full match until now. He has only started one match, so he is at the moment in the period where he gets his rhythm, where he gets back to full strength. There is this extra layer into the decision, but the decision stayed for this camp.”
Asked if Bellingham was fit enough to be called up, Tuchel said: “Yes, and he wanted to be called up. We had a phone call. There was no issue from that side, he just lacks rhythm. He hasn’t finished one complete match, like I said, and on top of it we stayed with our decision to go with the same squad.”
Bellingham's omission from this month's games caused quite a stir, and Paul Scholes insisted that Bellingham - along with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish - must be recalled if England want to win the World Cup next year.
He said: "I was a little bit surprised. Those three players, they have to be in his squad and they will be in his squad for the World Cup. If you look at the squad now, you would say they have virtually no chance of winning the World Cup. Even with those three players it’s still a big ask but it gives you more of a chance of winning the cup.
"Jude Bellingham has missed a little bit of football but he’s fit now so I would have brought him back in. Thomas Tuchel hasn’t got many games left now until the World Cup actually starts, it’s only the November break and then the March one and then we’re there so we need to get these players playing."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.