PICKING JUDE WILL BE REAL NO-BRAINER

THERE could be many reasons why Thomas Tuchel decided not to go and watch Jude Bellingham play for Real Madrid against Liverpool at Anfield.

- BY ANDY DUNN

It might have been his day off. Or he might just not have fancied a sodden Tuesday night on Merseyside.

He would not be the first foreign England manager seemingly averse to the wet and chilly north.

But the most likely reason is that Tuchel knows all he needs to know about the youngest player to make 50 Champions League appearances.

The 22-year-old is fully fit again and was outstanding for Real Madrid in recent wins over Barcelona and Valencia in La Liga.

If Tuchel watched the Liverpool-Real match on television, he would have seen Bellingham have a relatively ineffective night, but that was strictly in keeping with the overall performance of Xabi Alonso's team.