Tuchel: Bellingham Thrives on a Bit of Rage

Thomas Tuchel says Jude Bellingham plays his best football when he is riled up, and he pointed to the midfielder's flare-up with Marc Cucurella as proof.

Bellingham then turned on him with pointed gestures. Asked about the incident, Tuchel did not play it down.

"I don't think he knows any of his teammates when he's with the national team. He wants to win," he said. "He doesn't know any teammates, he's still friends with them but not during the 90 minutes."

Tuchel went further, suggesting Bellingham, 23, actively seeks out confrontation to sharpen his own edge. By all accounts the manager sees nothing to worry about in scenes that might alarm other coaches.

There was substance behind the remarks. Bellingham was named for his all-round display against Spain.

His fitness is not yet settled, but he must first check with the medical staff before risking him again so soon. Some rotation, he indicated, now looks unavoidable.

If Tuchel does rest him against Czechia, it would mark a shift in how central Bellingham has become to this England side — a player once shadowed by criticism now treated as too valuable to overplay.