Thomas Tuchel acknowledges that Jude Bellingham was ‘fortunate’ to escape a red card during England’s victory against Latvia.

Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that Jude Bellingham was “fortunate” to avoid receiving a red card as England “struggled” to clinch a 3-0 victory against Latvia’s minnows on Monday.

Just two days after remarking that Bellingham can be “very emotional” and needs to manage his temperament on the pitch, the Real Madrid sensation narrowly escaped a dismissal during the World Cup qualifier at Wembley.

Having been cautioned in the first half, Bellingham was lucky to avoid a second yellow card after he made a reckless challenge on Raivis Jurkovskis shortly after the break.

In response, England’s manager Tuchel promptly substituted the midfielder for Phil Foden to mitigate the risk of Bellingham being sent off.

“A bit lucky. We made the decision right away to remove him to avoid taking any risks,” Tuchel stated.

With Reece James having put England ahead with an exquisite free-kick in the first half, the team was finding it challenging to break down a resilient Latvia when Bellingham was taken off.

His lack of discipline could have jeopardised Tuchel’s ambitions of securing a second consecutive win to kick off his tenure.

Harry Kane scored shortly after Bellingham’s exit, and Eberechi Eze sealed the win as England continued their journey towards next year’s World Cup.

Facing a Latvia side ranked 136 places below them on the FIFA ladder, Tuchel admitted that England’s performance didn’t exactly inspire confidence after a 2-0 win against Albania in his initial match on Friday.

“It wasn’t an easy match. We saw plenty of positive aspects and created good chances. We had to rely on a free-kick to break through. I’m pleased with the attitude, energy, and commitment. We will improve,” the German coach noted.

“In the second half, we began to slow the game down and lacked movement, which made no sense. However, the second goal was an improvement as we showed acceleration from one of our midfielders.

“We encourage everyone to deliver those late bursts of speed, though we struggled a bit until the goal went in. I’m gaining insight into the players and the game, which is quite interesting.“

‘His quality is at the highest level’

James’s impressive first England start since September 2022 was the standout moment for Tuchel on the night.

The Chelsea right-back, who has been plagued by hamstring injuries for the past two seasons, shone under Tuchel during the Blues’ successful Champions League campaign in 2021.

“I know Reece well, and his quality is extraordinary. He has every reason to feel proud and satisfied with his performance,” Tuchel commented.

“He is in fantastic shape. He looks sharp, and there’s no doubt about his quality.

“In a match where we dominate like today, he can act as a hybrid midfielder to help create numerical advantages. His quality is at the very top level.

“We’ve been in close contact over the past weeks. We recognised that he was in a good mental space, and he proved that. He was very positive throughout the camp.

Tuchel was also impressed by Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who made his first England start.

Rogers has emerged as a pivotal figure for Villa during their advance to the Champions League quarter-finals this season, and Tuchel noted signs that he could replicate that performance on the international stage.

“I’m pleased with him. He earned the right to start. A match where we dominate could be more suited for him playing from the wings,” said Tuchel, whose team will next face Andorra in June.

“He felt more liberated when we played him there. There was more space for him to exploit. He did well.“