England boss Thomas Tuchel will examine Jude Bellingham’s furious response to being substituted off during the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Albania. The Real Madrid star was withdrawn in the closing stages of the final World Cup qualifier as he made way for Morgan Rogers with six minutes of regular time left on the clock.

The former Chelsea head coach sympathised with the midfielder’s reaction, stating that most professional footballers dislike being taken off. However, he insists he doesn’t wish to make the incident “bigger than it is”. It marks the latest flashpoint in a simmering saga between the England sensation and the manager with the World Cup looming large.

The 22-year-old managed just a 25-minute appearance in the 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday as qualification for this summer’s World Cup was sealed, courtesy of strikes from Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze.

In contrast to the Wembley clash, Bellingham was handed a starting berth and completed nearly 90 minutes.

Nevertheless, he was withdrawn in the final stages and fumed at the decision, moments after receiving a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Armando Broja.

“Yeah he didn’t like it but no-one likes it,” declared Tuchel. “But that’s how it is, Morgan [Rogers] didn’t like to be out and didn’t deserve to be out but that was the decision. Jude was also on a yellow card and I made the decision before the second goal and the decision stands.

“I didn’t see it that way. I have to review it. I saw he was not happy, I don’t want to make it bigger at the moment than it is. To a certain degree, if you have a player like Jude that is so competitive that never likes it. My words stand, we are about standards, level and commitment to each other and respect to each other. We will not change our decision just because someone waves their arms.”

Harry Kane netted twice in the second half to boost his England goal tally as the Three Lions wrapped up qualification with a flawless record.

By securing their eighth victory of the campaign, they maintained their remarkable feat of keeping a clean sheet throughout their entire qualifying journey.

However, the success risks being overshadowed by the fresh controversy involving Bellingham and Tuchel, just days after the boss revealed he expects players to show frustration when left out of the starting XI.

“You can be angry at the coach, you can be angry at the situation, but if you see the nations that win, see the clubs that win the Champions League, then the bench is on their feet,” he said.

“For the last eight to 10 minutes there is no-one sat there thinking: ‘I should be on the field, I should be on the field, why am I not there?’ They are just there. I experienced this once in the amazing run with Chelsea and it was non-stop, everyone was pushing and fighting from the bench even if they were not picked and they were ready.

“This makes the difference in the end and I strongly, strongly believe we should arrive with a team like that. Even if they are disappointed, which is absolutely normal. They will never be happy, they don’t have to be happy, no one is used to sit on the bench, this is the nature of a strong national team.”

Since formally assuming control in January, Tuchel has already been compelled to issue an apology to Bellingham.

The German boss found himself in hot water when he revealed that his mother considered the fury displayed by the England star as “repulsive”.

However, he clarified that he had used the term without intention.

“I used this word unintentionally, just to make it very clear,” he clarified. “There was no message. There was no hidden agenda. I fully understood and understand that it’s my responsibility that I created these headlines. I am sorry for the upset and I am sorry for the headlines I created.

“I am experienced enough and should’ve known better, I should’ve done better. I thought I had a little more credit with you guys (media) that I do all this in my second language.

“I did it the morning after a loss, with not a lot of sleep, in a live interview, and I used the wrong word. Again, it’s my responsibility.”