The England squad list in preparation for the two international break matches in November witnessed a remarkable surprise, after coach Thomas Tuchel decided to call up Jude Bellingham, the Borussia Dortmund player, for the first time to the senior team, giving him the opportunity to play alongside his older brother, Jude, the Real Madrid star.
Although Jude Bellingham's inclusion in the squad was expected, the call-up of his younger brother was surprising, especially since he had never represented the senior England team before, with his previous appearances limited to youth teams, before Tuchel decided to give him a new opportunity to prove his abilities at the international level.
Jude Bellingham awaits a strong challenge in his potential debut with the national team, as England prepares to face two tough encounters, starting with a match against Croatia at Wembley Stadium, before heading to Spain to face their team at the Metropolitano Stadium.
On the other hand, the list was devoid of the name of Cole Palmer, the Chelsea star, after Tuchel decided to exclude him despite his good numbers with his team under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, having scored five goals and provided three assists so far.
The German coach's selections included a group of the most prominent English football stars, led by Harry Kane, the team captain and Bayern Munich striker, alongside Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who receives his second consecutive call-up.
The squad also saw the return of Declan Rice, Ben White, and Djed Spence, after their recovery from injuries, while Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka were absent due to physical problems, and Tuchel excluded Phil Foden, Nico O'Reilly, and Jordan Henderson for technical reasons.
The full England squad list:
– Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton), James Trafford (Leeds United).
– Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Ben White (Arsenal).
– Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), James Garner (Everton), Josh King (Fulham), Myles Lewis-Skitely (Arsenal), Declan Rice (Arsenal).
– Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea).