The manager has already proven that he is not afraid to ruffle feathers, famously demanding a high level of discipline and tactical adherence. While he has praised Bellingham’s “decisiveness and bite,” the former Chelsea boss has also made it clear that no player is bigger than the collective system.
Building on this squad-first mentality, Tuchel confirmed that even the Real Madrid star faces a genuine battle for his place: “He is one of the starters, he knows he is one of the starters, but we have 14 or 15 potential starters. These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are 14 or 15 proper starters and Jude is one of them.”
With England set to face Costa Rica in their final preparations, the battle for spots remains wide open. However, Rogers remains adamant that the two can coexist in the same team, stating: “I think we can definitely play together. I’d love to play together. I want to play with England’s best players. He’s right at the front of that and someone that I’ve always wanted to play with from a very young age, and that’s no different now.” Whether Tuchel agrees and finds a way to shoehorn both into his World Cup plans remains the biggest question of the summer.
