Hey, Thomas! Can you get the best out of Jude?

The Real Madrid superstar is back in the England squad with a point to prove ahead of next summer's World Cup.

- Dom Smith

Jude Bellingham's omission from the England squad last month had many fans worried that Thomas Tuchel was considering the unthinkable - mounting his bid to win next summer's World Cup without the Real Madrid galactico. Was the German clipping his star midfielder's wings for ruffling a few feathers, or was he genuinely about to exile a truly world-class talent for the sake of the collective?

Bellingham's return for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia at Wembley this evening and Albania on Sunday answered the question - it was a "no brainer" according to his manager - but does leave England's most talked-about player needing to show that he can function in Tuchel's now-refined 4-2-3-1 system ... and that the team is all the better for having him in it.

Tuchel escaped more furore when omitting Bellingham because he had started only once since shoulder surgery. With three goals and an assist in his past five games, he is back fit and in form for Real Madrid and back with England too. Tuchel must now earn his corn and get the best out of him. England won all four games without Bellingham this autumn and hit a new level under Tuchel, leaving the onus also on the midfielder to reclaim his spot in the team.

Tuchel's directive to Bellingham and also returning Phil Foden is clear: "We have something going here. We are building something. We are super excited you are back, but the message is - contribute to it."

The big question now is whether the manager and star player can now work in harmony as they bid to put a second star on the shirt?

Superstar tendencies