National team coach confirms Real Madrid superstar will not play upcoming friendly – ‘Won’t take any risks’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham was a surprise call-up in the England squad for the ongoing international break.

The 22-year-old midfielder had spent the past month and a half out injured and only made his comeback in the derby against Atletico Madrid right before the international window.

Considering that the England squad was announced by Thomas Tuchel even before his on-field comeback, there were some concerns about possible mismanagement of the Real Madrid talisman’s injury and workload.

Bellingham will not play vs Japan

Given the situation, Bellingham was not part of the matchday squad for England’s friendly against Uruguay last week, which ended in a 1-1 draw, with Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde scoring a last-minute equaliser for the South American nation.

Now, Tuchel has confirmed that Bellingham will play no part once again in the Three Lions’ upcoming friendly against Japan.

Bellingham will not play for England vs Japan. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

England take on Japan on Tuesday night at Wembley Stadium in London as preparations for the FIFA World Cup continue to take shape. But the manager has confirmed that Bellingham will not be involved in the game.

“We won’t take any risks with Jude because he’s coming back from a muscle injury and you never know what might happen,” Tuchel told BBC (h/t MARCA).

So, Bellingham will have travelled to England and been with the national team for a week without playing a single minute across their two matches.

The midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in early February against Rayo Vallecano and spent more than a month out of action.

It has been a frustrating season for the midfielder, who missed a good chunk of matches at the start of the campaign due to shoulder surgery and has had to deal with intermittent fitness issues.

So far this term, Bellingham has played 29 matches in all competitions, recording six goals and four assists.