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Jude Bellingham is facing serious questions over his England and Real Madrid place - and now a bombshell report in Germany suggests trouble at home has his family living in a 'dangerously tense atmosphere'.
Bellingham, 22, was axed by England manager Thomas Tuchel today, with his boss intent on sticking with a similar squad to his September selection - where he saw 'team spirit at the highest level so far'.
That meant no space for stars Bellingham, Phil Foden or Jack Grealish.
But there are other issues for England's midfield superstar. Photos published today show his mum Denise and dad Mark sat apart from each other at brother Jobe's game for Borussia Dortmund this week.
German newspaper BILD say Bellingham's dad 'spoke almost exclusively to a close family member during the game, while Denise largely stayed away from the conversation' in the stadium's VIP seats.
They add that, according to their information, 'there is a dangerous atmosphere of tension surrounding the family, which is currently causing Jobe to feel massively insecure and putting him under pressure.'
Jude Bellingham has missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad
But there could be other issues for the England star. According to reports in Germany, there's a sense of tension in the Bellingham family
Jude's parents Denise (top left) and Mark (top, second from right in a cap) were seen sitting apart at brother Jobe's match for Borussia Dortmund this week
It is not the first time the Bellingham parents have come under the spotlight in the early weeks of the football season. In August, they were reportedly banned from Dortmund's dressing room after his 'emotional' dad allegedly tried to confront Jobe's boss when he hauled the 20-year-old off at half-time of a game.
Proud parents Denise and Mark split their time between Dortmund and Madrid to support their footballer sons.
Jude has spoken glowingly of his mother on a number of occasions, including at his Real Madrid unveiling a couple of years ago.
Denise manages the 22-year-old's financial affairs, allowing him to focus on his football rather than off-the-pitch matters. The pair did share a flat together in Madrid, though where Denise and Mark permanently reside after Jobe's move to Dortmund remains unknown.
'The role my mum is playing is massive,' Jude said at his first press conference as a Galactico.
'It is probably the biggest role of anyone, more than my coaches and managers, to be honest.'
Jude joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2023 for a fee reaching nearly £90million after enjoying three stellar years at Dortmund. His brother's start to life in the Bundesliga has however not been near as successful.
Jobe is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in any of his 12 league appearances for the club, and struggled again on Wednesday night against Athletic Bilbao in a 4-1 victory for BVB in the Champions League.
Mark Bellingham (right) was reportedly banned from Borussia Dortmund's dressing room back in August after he held an emotional discussion with club chiefs over their treatment of Jobe
The 20-year-old, who followed in Jude's footsteps by moving to the Bundesliga, has struggled since joining BVB
Dortmund boss Niko Kovan hauled him off after 69 minutes as Denise and Mark dejectedly watched on from the stands, with the manager admitting that his performance seemed 'nervous'.
Kovac told BILD: 'Sure, he made one or two bad passes but the boy is 20.
'There's a lot of nervousness. I think he did well - he was agile, counter-pressed and used his mass to block one or two opponents.
'I was pleased with his performance. We don't want to see everything so negative. On the contrary, I see a lot of positives. But he's 20 and can still improve a lot.'
Jude meanwhile has missed much of the start of the LaLiga season due to a shoulder injury, which is the reason why he was omitted from Tuchel's England squad in early September.
He's since recovered from the knock though, making four appearances for Xabi Alonso's side since his comeback on September 20.
Yet in the eyes of the England boss, the superstar does not warrant a place in his squad for this month's friendly against Wales and a World Cup Qualifier against Latvia.
Tuchel has instead opted for Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers in his place - a decision which the German explained in Friday's press conference.
Jude has spoken glowingly of his mother on a number of occasions, describing her as his 'queen'
Denise moved to Madrid with Jude when he signed for the LaLiga giants in the summer of 2023
Here, she's pictured at the Bernabau giving his girlfriend Ashlyn Castro the side-eye
'The last camp was only three and a half weeks ago,' the former Chelsea manager said, 'teamwork, team spirit were at the highest level so far.
'That's why we decided to invite the same group into this camp, to make more stable what we started to build.
'Are there players out there who deserve to be with us? Yes, for sure. Is there a way back into the team through performance? 100 per cent.
'We think this is the best and most straightforward position. The competition is on to be in the squad and to make it onto the pitch.
'I understand your focus on Jude [Bellingham]; he is a very special player, and for special players, there are special rules.
'But for this camp we decided to stick with out decision to invite the same team, that also applies to Jude. He always deserves to be in camp.
'There is also the situation that he hasn't gathered his full rhythm for Real Madrid. He hasn't finished one full match until now; he has only started one now.
'He is getting back to full strength. We had a phone call. There is no issue from that side, he just lacks rhythm.'
Tuchel's relationship with Bellingham has been in the spotlight since June when the German revealed that his mother, Gabriele, finds the midfielder's on-field demeanour 'repulsive' after the England star kicked a water cooler in rage following the Three Lions' defeat by Senegal.
In addition too, the 52-year-old said Bellingham can intimidate team-mates because of his over-aggressive manner.
Bellingham pictured in training today after being left out of the England squad
Tuchel has instead opted for Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers in his place
When it was put to that England could be better off without Bellingham, he told talkSPORT: 'I struggle to see that. I think he brings an edge, which we welcome and which is needed if we want to achieve big things.
'(But) the edge needs to be channelled toward the opponent, towards our goal and not to intimidate team-mates, or to be over aggressive to team-mates or referees. He has the fire. I don't want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire, that's his strength.
'But the fire comes also with some attributes that can intimidate you, maybe even as a team-mate.
'You see sometimes the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game, so if he can channel this in the right way, and we can help him in this, then for sure he has the something that we need. He has a certain edge that is hard to find.
'But I see that it can create mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see.
'If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother, when she sits in front of the TV. I see that, but in general we are very happy to have him.
'He is a special boy. He is a nice kid and very open, very intelligent - and very easy (to manage), so far.'
