Bellingham facing fight to get back in England team

LONDON: Jude Bellingham may have to wait for his return to England’s starting line-up, with head coach Thomas Tuchel making it clear he is in no hurry to alter his system for the Real Madrid midfielder.

Since Bellingham last featured in England’s 3-1 friendly loss to Senegal in June, Morgan Rogers has made the No.10 position his own, starring in recent 5-0 wins over Serbia and Latvia that sealed England’s qualification for next year’s World Cup.

Now back from shoulder surgery, Bellingham finds himself in direct competition with Rogers for the same attacking midfield role. “They’re friends, so this can be a friendly competition,” Tuchel said ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia on Thursday. “You don’t have to be enemies. They respect each other, they’re friends, and they’re both fighting for the same position.”

Tuchel didn’t rule out playing both together but hinted that such a tactical shift would come later. “Can they play together? Yes, but it would require a different structure — and maybe now is not the time to change,” he added.

Complicating matters further, both Bellingham and Phil Foden — another returning attacker — have yet to complete a full training session this week. England, already the first European nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, will wrap up their group campaign with matches against Serbia and Albania.