Last Wednesday, Jude Bellingham was named England's men's Player of the Year for 2024-25. Less than 48 hours later, he was dropped.
England manager Thomas Tuchel explained the decision by pointing to the player's lack of game time at Real Madrid after undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer -- Bellingham, 22, has started just one game in four appearances this season and has yet to complete 90 minutes -- but scratch the surface of that explanation, and a more complicated picture emerges.
Tuchel has repeatedly stressed the lack of time he has to work with his team before next year's FIFA World Cup finals, heightening the need to bring key players together as often as possible.