Bellingham and King receive first England senior call-ups for Nations League

England manager Thomas Tuchel has named 21-year-old Jobe Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund and 19-year-old Josh King of Fulham in the senior squad for the Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain. Bellingham, who captained the England Under-21 side, joins his brother Jude in the senior set-up after a strong season. King, a regular in Fulham’s midfield and the club’s top league scorer this season, had previously travelled with England’s preparation squad ahead of the World Cup.

Fulham head coach Álvaro Arbeloa praised King’s call-up, describing it as a “special moment” for the player and the club and highlighting the youngster’s humility and work ethic.

The squad also sees the return of Djed Spence and Declan Rice, who missed the previous camp through injury, and Ben White, who re-joins the group for the first time since March after being ruled out of the World Cup.

Notably absent from the list are forwards Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Kobbie Mainoo, sparking discussion among fans and pundits about the selection criteria.

Goalkeepers named are Jordan Pickford, Jason Steele and James Trafford; defenders include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence and Ben White. Midfield selections feature Elliot Anderson, Jobe Bellingham, Jude Bellingham, James Garner, Josh King, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice. The forward line comprises Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Rio Ngumoha and Morgan Rogers.