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Thomas Tuchel has defended his decision to leave Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his latest England squad, insisting there are “no problems” with any of the trio.

The announcement means Bellingham, despite returning from a shoulder injury, has not been recalled. Foden and Grealish, both finding form again with Manchester City and Everton, were also overlooked.

Tuchel explained that Bellingham, who has made just one start for Real Madrid since his recovery, wanted to be included but was not selected. “He is a special player, and for special players there can always be special rules,” said Tuchel. “But we decided to keep with the straightforward decision of inviting the same group.”

Much of the attention centred around Tuchel’s relationship with Bellingham, particularly after the England manager apologised earlier this year for calling his behaviour on the pitch “repulsive” in a live interview.

Tuchel was keen to clarify his stance, saying the comments were made “unintentionally” and promising to be more careful in future. He added: “Jude always deserves to be here. He knows he is a special player, and he knows that I know he is a special player.”

When asked directly if there was tension between the two, Tuchel firmly dismissed the idea. “No. There is also no problem with Phil Foden or Jack Grealish either,” he said.

Tuchel made clear that the 5-0 win over Serbia last month heavily influenced his decision to stick with largely the same squad. That emphatic victory, played in Belgrade, was hailed as England’s best performance since he took charge.

“We had the best camp, the best performance and it was only three and a half weeks ago,” he told BBC Sport. “So a very tight decision went in the favour of the guys who were in camp.”

Tuchel stressed that no player is guaranteed selection, but highlighted the importance of continuity. “I want to make the national team feel like a club side. That means rewarding those who performed and keeping the group together,” he explained.

The only change from last month’s squad is the return of Bukayo Saka, who replaces the injured Noni Madueke. Both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jarell Quansah keep their places after being late call-ups due to injuries in the previous camp.

Tuchel praised other absentees too, noting the strength in depth. “Foden is in a very good moment. Jack is becoming the best version of himself again. Cole Palmer is injured and is a special player. Curtis Jones, Trevoh Chalobah, Adam Wharton – they are all getting minutes and progressing.”

Despite this, Tuchel insisted tough decisions had to be made, saying: “Are we a better team with Jude? Yes. But what do we do if Jude is injured before the World Cup? Do we just cancel?”

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly at Wembley next Thursday before travelling to Riga for a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on 14 October.

A victory in Latvia would leave England needing just two points from their final two matches – against Serbia and Albania in November – to seal their place at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Tuchel’s press conference once again attracted major attention, with the German manager carefully setting out his reasoning. His focus on “team spirit” was a recurring theme, emphasising that his decisions were about maintaining momentum and cohesion rather than singling out individuals.

Still, questions are likely to continue if England achieve positive results without their headline names. As Tuchel himself admitted: “Are there special players out? Yes, of course. But there is always a way back into camp.”

For now, Tuchel’s message is clear: England’s unity and recent form come first, even if it means leaving out some of the country’s biggest talents.