England Manager Tuchel States No Issue with Jude Bellingham, Foden, or Jack Grealish
England's Head Coach Thomas Tuchel has declared that he holds "no problem" with Phil Foden after these players were omitted the Three Lions squad for upcoming fixtures against Wales and Latvia.
Bellingham has not been recalled despite returning from a shoulder issue, whereas the Manchester City and Everton players also miss out despite showing a return to form with their respective clubs.
Tuchel mentioned that the 22-year-old wanted to be part of the selection, after a conversation with him on the phone.
"Bellingham is a unique talent, and for exceptional talents there can always be exceptions," the coach remarked regarding Bellingham, who's made just one start since returning to full health.
"However we decided to stick with the straightforward decision of calling up the same group.
"Bellingham always deserves to be here. There is also the situation that he has not fully found his optimal form again at Real Madrid - he has not completed a full match.
"He expressed a desire to be selected. We had a phone call."
The England boss made an effort to highlight his positive relationship with Bellingham after Tuchel apologized to him previously for describing his conduct during a match as "repulsive" in a live interview.
The German stated that he uttered those terms "unintentionally" and promised to be more cautious in future.
Inquired if he had any issue with the player, he said: "No. There is also no problem with Phil Foden or Grealish.
"Phil is returning to impacting and deciding games for his club. Jack is very close to returning to the best version of himself.
"There is no personal issue."
Bukayo Saka taking the place of the injured Madueke is the sole alteration to the previous squad, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jarell Quansah keeping their spots after joining as late additions last month due to fitness concerns.
The Three Lions face the Welsh team in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on this Thursday before a qualifying match in Riga on 14 October.
If the team triumph in Latvia, they will need a up to two points from their remaining two qualifiers - against Serbia and Albania in next month - to earn a place in the upcoming tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Strong Performance By Tuchel
England produced their best display by some distance under Tuchel's leadership when they beat Serbia 5-0 away in the Serbian capital last time out.
Tuchel says that performance made it an easy decision to keep largely the identical group, though "there are no certainties" for every squad member regarding being picked.
"The last camp was just three and a half weeks ago and the cohesion and morale was at its peak. That is why we chose to call up the identical players to this camp," he said.
"Phil is in a very good moment. Adam Wharton merits to be with us. Jones and Chalobah are getting minutes with their teams.
"There are players who warrant to be here. Cole Palmer is injured and is a key talent. It will always be like this.
"Is our team a better team with Bellingham? Absolutely. But I told you before, what do we do if he is unavailable before the tournament? Do we simply give up?"
The Manager's Press Conference Draws Attention
Thomas Tuchel again gave a box office press briefing.
He, a master of managing his interactions with the press, started with an opening statement to explain his reasoning for his decisions.
The midfielder is ready to play and wanted to come to the squad, but Tuchel explained he did not want to change the squad too much after a statement five-goal win over Serbia - where the boss said unity was at an all-time high.
However with Tuchel not including the star, and his frequent comments about team spirit, it is difficult to avoid connect the aspects - even though he said repeatedly how he is "exceptional" and that there is "no problem" between him and one of England's star players.
Tuchel has consistently made it clear that he wanted to make the England squad seem like a club side and, by retaining the same squad after a big victory, he has done that. But the inquiries will arise once more in the following session if England perform strongly in these next two matches.