Jobe Bellingham joins brother Jude in England squad for Nations League

For the first time, Jobe Bellingham has been selected for the England senior team, where he will be alongside his sibling Jude for Nations League games. The midfielder, who plays for Borussia Dortmund and is 21, is in the group of players for the fixtures with Croatia and Spain. The team's next fixture is at home to Croatia on Saturday 12 November, a side they recently thrashed 7-0 away on Saturday 3 October.

This selection creates an uncommon instance of brothers in the national setup. Should Jobe play, they would be among the sibling pairs to have represented the England men's team. Recent brother duos have included the Chalobahs, the Nevilles and the Charltons.

National team boss Thomas Tuchel noted midfield availability led to the decision. He mentioned a concern in the middle because Alex Scott is unavailable due to an injury sustained previously.

Jobe, a former Sunderland player now at Dortmund, has frequently played for the under-21 side, often in a defensive or central role. Jude, his older brother, is a senior squad mainstay and the team's top scorer this season with seven goals in eight appearances.

Other changes to the squad include Djed Spence's return following good club performances and the inclusion of young Josh King after he stood out in a recent training camp. Ben White is also back in contention.

A number of players are absent due to fitness issues, including Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Tino Livramento, John Stones, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford. Myles Lewis-Skelly cannot face Croatia due to a suspension from an under-21 game.

Those not selected this time include Dan Burn, Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney. Rico Lewis, Dean Henderson and Jordan Henderson were also not included. Tuchel emphasized current performance and tactical needs guided his choices.

The matches see England host Croatia and then visit Spain. The team currently occupies second place in their Nations League group and can progress by not losing to Croatia. Captain Harry Kane could set a new appearance record during these games. England's recent form shows three wins and a loss from their last four matches, putting them on a three-game winning run that includes a 3-0 victory over Czechia on Tuesday 6 October, where Kane scored twice. Their last meeting with Croatia was that emphatic 7-0 win, a result they will look to build upon when the sides meet again.

This story first appeared at The Guardian