Jobe Bellingham joins brother Jude in first England squad under Tuchel

Jobe Bellingham has received his first senior England call-up, named alongside older brother Jude in Thomas Tuchel's 25-man squad for this month's Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain.

England face Croatia at Wembley on Thursday before travelling to Madrid to meet Spain three days later, with Tuchel's side already close to sealing a place in the competition's quarter-finals.

Tuchel confirmed at his Wembley press conference on Friday that the 21-year-old Dortmund midfielder had earned the call "on his own merit", according to the Independent.

The manager also disclosed that Jude, now at Real Madrid, had encouraged him to take a closer look at his younger brother, telling reporters it would be "beautiful for Jude to have his brother close", the Guardian reported.

The selection reflects a broader reshaping of the squad as Tuchel looks beyond the group that took England to last summer's World Cup and towards Euro 2028. Of the 22 outfield players named, only 11 featured at the World Cup, the Guardian noted.

Jobe's rise has gathered pace through the autumn. He captained England's Under-21s for the first time in September, inspiring a 4-2 comeback win over Kazakhstan in qualifying for next year's European Under-21 Championship.

Under-21s manager Lee Carsley, who watched Jobe in Dortmund recently, said he had been "outstanding" and described a player visibly developing. "Physically he's grown. He's definitely got that strength in his legs. He's moving the ball so well and his footwork has really improved," Carsley said, adding that Jobe was "always a good player, but now he's going through the levels."

The call-up means the Bellingham brothers will train together in the senior England set-up for the first time, a path that has already seen Jobe follow Jude from Birmingham academy football to Borussia Dortmund.

Tuchel's squad announcement also carried significant omissions. Chelsea's Cole Palmer was left out again despite three goals and three assists in nine Premier League appearances this season under Xabi Alonso, with his recent red card against Tottenham Hotspur noted by Yahoo Sports as a possible factor. Manchester City's Phil Foden remains frozen out having not reclaimed his place since missing the World Cup.

In their place, Tuchel has turned to emerging talent, handing call-ups to Fulham's 19-year-old Josh King and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, according to Yahoo Sports. Arsenal pair Ben White and Declan Rice return to the squad at the back.

England's double-header begins at Wembley on Thursday against Croatia before the squad heads to Madrid to face Spain three days later, with a place in the Nations League quarter-finals already within reach.