England manager Thomas Tuchel appears ready to hand Jude Bellingham the No 10 role for the World Cup opener against Croatia next Wednesday.
Sources close to the England camp suggest the side that beat Costa Rica 3-0 in their final warm-up fixture will be close to Tuchel’s first-choice team for the tournament.
Bellingham’s place in the starting XI would come at the expense of Morgan Rogers, who has emerged as a genuine contender for the central attacking position in recent weeks.
The debate between Bellingham and Rogers has been one of the most fiercely contested selection discussions heading into the World Cup in the United States.
Bellingham’s ability and history of producing special moments in an England shirt is unquestionable, with his experience at Real Madrid only strengthening the case for his inclusion.
Rogers has impressed enough to create real uncertainty, but if the Costa Rica lineup is anything to go by, he will likely have to settle for a place on the bench.
Perhaps the bigger surprise would be the omission of Marc Guehi, with John Stones and Ezri Konsa appearing set to form England’s first-choice central defensive partnership.
Guehi was considered a certainty to start after becoming central to England’s plans during Euro 2024, and his move from Crystal Palace to Manchester City only added to expectations of a starting berth.
However, there is an emerging feeling that Tuchel prefers greater physicality in his defensive pairing, with Stones and Konsa both physically bigger than Guehi.
A question of balance remains, though, as Guehi typically plays as the left-sided centre-back, whereas both Stones and Konsa are right-footed, which could yet influence Tuchel’s thinking.
On the right side of attack, Noni Madueke started ahead of Bukayo Saka against Costa Rica, with Tuchel openly admitting that Saka will need to be carefully managed throughout the tournament.
Saka is still feeling the effects of a lower leg muscular issue that prevented him from playing a full part in Arsenal’s season run-in, causing genuine concern at the Emirates Stadium towards the back end of the campaign.
There remains anxiety at Arsenal over his fitness, particularly given he is currently outside the club’s direct care while on international duty.
There is hope, however, that Saka’s condition is improving day by day, and if England were playing in the knockout stages today, he could potentially start, though perhaps not complete the full ninety minutes.
Tuchel will therefore have to weigh how much protection to offer Saka during the group stage, and in Madueke he has a player he clearly trusts as a capable alternative on the right flank.
