England stand no chance without Jude Bellingham - this is Thomas Tuchel's defining moment

The decision to leave out Jude Bellingham is a defining moment for Thomas Tuchel.And however you dress it up, leaving out your best player and a generational talent is the wrong choice.

Bellingham, 22, is England’s superstar, the talisman and the absolute star of last year’s Euros. It is a huge mistake to leave him out. It has also created a bigger issue than it need be. You are also alienating him. It’s a seriously bad move.

Without him and his last gasp leveller against Slovakia, England would have been going home at the last 16 stage rather than reach the final. If England dare go to the World Cup next summer without Bellingham, then they stand no chance of winning the trophy.

Absolutely no chance.

Let’s be clear… England have some brilliant players. Bukayo Saka. Harry Kane is so prolific. Declan Rice. The rest are good players. Very good players. But Bellingham elevates the team and the squad to another level.

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Without him, England are in the next level of teams below the likes of Spain and Argentina. Contenders. But not favourites.

Bellingham has only started one game for Real Madrid since he has been back from injury and a shoulder operation in the summer.But do you really think Kane would be left out if he had played the same minutes for Bayern Munich? Of course not.

There should be special rules for special players and it is then up to the manager and his man-management to deal with it. England boss Tuchel - understandably - insisted that he needed to stick with the squad that won so well in Serbia last month.

It was 5-0 away from home, Morgan Rogers was man of the match and it was a brilliant performance. They set the “standards” said Tuchel and that was the way round it. The others need to prove themselves and get back in.

But lurking in the background is that lingering feeling that there is an issue between manager and star player. That comes back to the infamous “repulsive” quote and what Tuchel’s mum makes of Bellingham’s on-pitch behaviour.

Is there an issue? Has it been solved? I don’t think we can know until Bellingham gets called up again and plays for Tuchel. Until then, we will be left wondering.

And until it gets dealt with, it will fester and get worse.

This notion that England are better off without Jude. That other players can step up. That narrative is naive, misguided and utterly ridiculous.

Bellingham is England’s best player - and you always pick your best.

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