England manager Thomas Tuchel is set to announce his squad on Friday morning at Wembley Stadium, with Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka expected to be included for the upcoming matches. The Three Lions will face Wales in a friendly at home before traveling to Latvia for a World Cup qualifier.
England is close to securing qualification for next summer's tournament after a dominant 5-0 victory against Serbia in Belgrade, following a 2-0 win over Andorra. Bellingham and Saka were absent from these September matches.
Bellingham missed the previous camp due to shoulder surgery after Real Madrid's Club World Cup participation but has since made four appearances. There was a prior incident where Tuchel apologized for saying Bellingham's mother found some of his on-field behavior "repulsive". The 22-year-old Bellingham was recently named the 2024-25 England men's senior player of the year, an award previously won by Saka in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Saka was also absent from September's games due to a hamstring injury but has played in four matches since his return. Cole Palmer, who won England's player of the year award between Saka and Bellingham, is currently dealing with a groin injury. Chelsea's manager, Enzo Maresca, stated that Palmer would be rested for two to three weeks leading up to the international break to ensure full recovery.
In related news from October 2024, Bukayo Saka was included in England's squad for matches against Australia and Italy despite injury concerns. Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins were also recalled to the squad. Saka had limped off during a Champions League match for Arsenal, but was deemed fit enough to join Southgate's plans.
Other players included in the October 2024 squad were goalkeepers Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford, and Aaron Ramsdale; defenders Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Fikayi Tomori, Kieran Trippier, and Kyle Walker; midfielders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, and Declan Rice; and forwards Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Eddie Nketiah, Marcus Rashford.
England's upcoming schedule includes a friendly against Australia at Wembley and a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy in October 2024, followed by matches against Malta and North Macedonia in November.
In other news, during an Arsenal vs. Real Madrid Champions League match, footage emerged of Jude Bellingham whispering something to Bukayo Saka before Saka missed a penalty.
