Tuchel's England vs. Bellamy's Wales: World Cup Squad Selection, Kane's Formidable Run, and a Full-Back Showdown

With less than 250 days to go until the tournament kicks off in Mexico City next summer, we are beginning to make out the hard edges of Thomas Tuchel's plan to turn England's World Cup dreams into reality.

Gone, seemingly, is the deference to star power, the familiar pitfall of many an England head coach, replaced now by a meritocracy based on consistency and camaraderie. There is, however, still plenty to sort out before the Three Lions set off for North America in their nifty Marks & Spencer suits.

UEFA Group K

October's international break provides another opportunity for Tuchel to run the rule over the cream of the Premier League as he divides players into groups of "nailed-ons," "maybes" and "no-chancers."

The Three Lions travel to Latvia on Tuesday when their place in next year's extravaganza could be confirmed. But first comes a friendly against old foes Wales who are building a new identity under head coach Craig Bellamy.

From talk of a fallout, a full-back battle and the possible make-up of Tuchel's all-important World Cup squad, there's plenty of storylines to follow in the friendly at Wembley.

Bellingham's absence

Jude Bellingham's absence from Thomas Tuchel's Friday England squad announcement raised eyebrows. That the decision came a few months after Tuchel had suggested that some of the midifielder's on-pitch behaviour might not always be ideal inevitably prompted questions of a possible rift between the England coach and one of the country's biggest stars.

When asked about Bellingham's absence, Tuchel, who also omitted Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, said there was "no problem" between him and Bellingham while pointing to the Real Madrid man's recent return after shoulder surgery.

"No, there is also no problem between me and Phil Foden, there is no problem between me and Jack Grealish," Tuchel said.

"Very special players. Phil is back to influencing games, deciding games for Manchester City. Jack is very close to being the best version of himself -- a very special player, a very special character. There is no problem at all. There is no personal problem in the nomination.

"I understand the focus on Jude of course. First of all, he is a very special player. And for special players there can always be special rules. I get this. But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team."

The fact that Tuchel has repeatedly bemoaned the lack of contact time he will have with his players before the World Cup gets under way, Tuchel's decision to go for alternative options in midfield this month will garner plenty of attention. If Bellingham also misses out for games in November, expect his absence from the set-up to snowball into the biggest sporting story in the country as the World Cup looms ever closer.

Olley: Why has Bellingham, officially England's best player, been dropped?

Konsa in World Cup XI, Gibbs-White left behind?

For clues into Tuchel's thinking, it's a good idea to look at who he has fielded the most during his six games in charge. Injuries mean this cannot be regarded as an exact science but it is a good indicator of their chances of being in the squad.

Some names come as no surprise -- Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Declan Rice have been mainstays for years. But the numbers tell us that Ezri Konsa has a good chance of being "on the plane" next summer and Dan Burn might be applying for extra leg room.

Conor Gallagher is on the outside looking in and Morgan Gibbs-White has work to do.

Kane's scintillating form

Even by his lofty standards, the England captain is on an incredible hot streak.

His first-half strike during Bayern Munich's 3-0 win on Saturday made him the first player in history to score 11 goals in the first six games of a Bundesliga season. Kane's efforts in the Champions League and with England make him the top scorer in Europe's top five leagues at this early stage of the season.

He seems to have brushed off fears of a knock on one of his once-troublesome ankles and is set to add to his record 74 England goals this month.

Having eased past Wayne Rooney's previous England high mark of 53, Kane is now in the process of overtaking the efforts of his international peers.

Neymar's total of 79 looks likely to be surpassed in the coming months with the former Barcelona man having not featured for Brazil since October 2023.

If England are to have a chance of ending 59 years of hurt next year, they will be reliant on a fit and firing Kane.

Full-back battle brewing?

Gone is the rich seam of full-backs that allowed Gareth Southgate to run the rule over Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Luke Shaw and even Ben Chilwell before ultimately picking Kieran Trippier.

Walker's career has taken him from Manchester to Milan to Burnley in the space of 10 months. Alexander-Arnold is nursing a hamstring complaint, James was initially picked by Tuchel but pulled out with an injury of his own. Chilwell is doing time at Chelsea's Strasbourg penitentiary and Shaw has been playing for Manchester United this season.

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Konsa is likely to deputise against Wales and Latvia while Alexander-Arnold and James recuperate. But it is at left-back where things are hotting up.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was the apple of Tuchel's eye after following up his first senior goal against Albania in March with strong showings against Latvia and Andorra. But Lewis-Skelly has dropped behind Riccardo Calafiori in the Arsenal pecking order at the start of the new Premier League campaign -- a decision that has prompted the England boss to warn his defender of the dangers of a lack of domestic gametime.

Djed Spence's revival at Tottenham Hotspur over the past 18 months saw him rewarded with a first international cap last month. The 25-year-old's ability to play on either side of the back four as well as at wing-back makes him a valuable commodity when navigating the restrictions of tournament squad building.

It's worth keeping tabs on the north London rivals' duel on Thursday and over the rest of the season.

Bellamy's brave new world

England's squad depth is something that Wales boss Bellamy made a point of highlighting earlier this week. Since his appointment to the role in July 2024, the former City and Liverpool forward has been navigating the post-Gareth Bale world that Wales now find themselves in.

"England have a ridiculous squad, like France," Bellamy said on Monday ahead of Wales' first visit to Wembley since a 3-0 defeat five years ago.

"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion, ours is £170 million. If you were a boxing promoter you wouldn't put us together. It wouldn't be allowed.

"We don't go off values, but the simple fact is they don't just have one team. They have two, three, four and France and others have the same level."

For a nation of Wales' size, salvation often comes at the emergence of a new hero. Bale's greatness saw him inspire his country to a European Championship semifinal and World Cup berth four years ago.

Brennan Johnson is Bellamy's most valuable commodity - Transfermarkt places him at the top of Wales' squad with an estimated market value of £35 million. But Johnson has found regular minutes hard to come by at Spurs since Thomas Frank's arrival in the summer.

Despite their lack of star power, Wales' World Cup qualifying campaign has been encouraging. Bellamy's side sit third in Group J and host leaders Belgium in a potentially crucial tie on Monday. But it is their final group game against North Macedonia on Nov. 18 that will likely prove decisive.