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Thomas Tuchel asserted that he holds "no issue" with Jude Bellingham following these players were left out the Three Lions team for upcoming fixtures against Latvia and Wales.

The midfielder did not earn a recall even after returning from a shoulder issue, whereas Foden and Grealish also miss out although displaying a return to form with their clubs.

The German manager revealed that the 22-year-old wanted to be part of the squad, having spoken with him on the phone.

"He is a unique talent, and for exceptional talents there can often be exceptions," Tuchel remarked regarding the Real Madrid star, who's only started once since returning to full health.

"But we opted to stick with the straightforward choice of calling up the same group.

"Bellingham consistently merits to be here. There is the factor that he has not fully found his optimal form yet at his club - he has not finished a full match.

"He wanted to be called up. We had a phone call."

Tuchel was keen to highlight his positive relationship with Bellingham following he apologized to him previously for calling his on-pitch behavior as "disgusting" in a live interview.

Tuchel explained that he uttered those terms "unintentionally" and would be more careful going forward.

When asked if he had a problem with the player, he responded: "None. There is no issue either with Phil Foden or Jack 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 exists no personal problem."

Bukayo Saka taking the place of the hurt Noni Madueke is the only change to the previous squad, with Loftus-Cheek and Jarell Quansah keeping their spots after joining as late additions previously due to fitness concerns.

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before a World Cup qualifier in the Latvian capital on October 14.

Should the team triumph in the away fixture, they will need a up to two points from their final two qualifiers - against Serbia and Albania in next month - to earn a spot in next summer's World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Strong Performance Under the Manager

The Three Lions delivered their best display significantly under the manager's guidance when they defeated Serbia 5-0 away in the Serbian capital last time out.

Tuchel stated that performance meant it an easy decision to stick with mostly the same squad, though "there exist absolutely no guarantees" for any player regarding selection.

"Our previous gathering was only a few weeks ago and the cohesion and spirit was on the highest level. That is the reason we chose to invite the identical players to this session," he commented.

"Phil is in a very good moment. Wharton merits to be with us. Curtis Jones and Chalobah are getting minutes with their clubs.

"We have players who warrant to be here. Cole Palmer is unfit and is a special player. It will consistently remain the case.

"Are we a stronger side with Jude? Yes. But I mentioned before, what do we do if he is injured before the World Cup? Do we just cancel?"

The Manager's Press Conference Gets Noticed

The England manager once more gave a headline-grabbing press briefing.

He, a expert of managing his relationship with the press, began with an opening statement to explain his reasoning for his decisions.

Bellingham is fit and available and expressed interest to come to the squad, but Tuchel explained he did not want to alter the team too much after a statement five-goal victory over their opponents - where the manager noted team spirit was extremely strong.

However with him not selecting the star, and his frequent comments about togetherness, it is hard not to link the two - although he insisted multiple times how Bellingham is "exceptional" and that there is "no issue" between him and one of the national team's star players.

Tuchel has always made it evident that he aimed to make the England squad feel like a club team and, by keeping the identical selection after a big victory, he has done that. But the questions will arise once more in the following session if the team win well in these upcoming fixtures.