Southgate gives Bellingham a week off to recharge

Gareth Southgate has given Jude Bellingham the week off to decompress before reporting to his England squad for the Euro 2024 tournament, saying rest was most important for the 20-year-old on the heels of his remarkable LaLiga season.

Bellingham helped Real Madrid to wrap up the league title, and to win the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday. Southgate said he did not consider Bellingham’s absence as a sacrifice to himself or the team this week, when they have friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Monday and Iceland on Friday.

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“The most important thing for Jude is rest, recovery, and we will benefit from that,” Southgate told reporters on Sunday.