Jude Bellingham left out of England squad for the upcoming international break

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham has not been included in England’s squad for the upcoming international break, allowing him to get some well earned rest.

England announced their 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary on Thursday. Jude Bellingham was surprisingly left out of the squad, and Gareth Southgate explained that he did not include the Borussia Dortmund midfielder in order to give him a break.

"“Jude at the moment has got a high level of matches,” Southgate said during a press conference. “He’s playing Champions League games, he’s playing league games. As an 18-year-old he had a full season last season then into a European Championship so no break. We don’t want to overload them and we’ve got to be making sure we make the right decisions.”"

Southgate also confirmed that the decision to rest Bellingham was made after discussions with the midfielder, his family as well as Borussia Dortmund.

Southgate’s decision to leave Bellingham out of the latest England squad certainly makes a lot of sense. And it gives the 18 year old a chance to get some rest after what has been a gruelling start to the season.

After helping England reach the Euro 2020 final, Bellingham returned from his post-season break just a few days before Borussia Dortmund’s first game of the new season. Still, he has started all ten of the Black and Yellows’ games so far this season. He has established himself as a key player under Marco Rose, and has delivered several match-winning performances for his team.

Borussia Dortmund face a busy schedule after the international break as well, with seven games coming up over a 22-day period. So a rest will give Bellingham the chance to recharge his batteries.

Bellingham is set to start once again this weekend as Borussia Dortmund take on FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga in their final game before the international break.