'friendly Competition' - Could Rogers Keep Bellingham Out Of England Team?

England caput coach Thomas Tuchel's World Cup strategy has put lifelong friends Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers connected a collision people going into adjacent summer's showpiece.

Any rivalry betwixt nan talented brace would beryllium successful a purely footballing discourse - they were calved 5 miles isolated successful nan Midlands and stock adjacent bonds stretching backmost to their days successful inferior football.

Real Madrid superstar Bellingham posted photographs of them playing for England's inferior teams, aft Rogers made his debut successful nan 3-0 triumph distant to Greece a twelvemonth ago, pinch nan words: "Congrats brother. Come a agelong way."

And Aston Villa's 23-year-old Rogers referred to Bellingham arsenic his "little large brother" aft making his first Wembley quality for England against nan Republic of Ireland 3 days later.

The friendship, going backmost to schoolhouse days - playing some arsenic team-mates and opponents astatine inferior level - must beryllium put to 1 broadside aft Tuchel made it clear he will not person room for some of them successful his starting line-up.

Rogers is nan subordinate successful possession - performing impressively while Bellingham has been connected nan margins - first aft enarthrosis surgery, past erstwhile Tuchel decided not to see him successful his squad for nan friends against Wales and nan 5-0 triumph successful Latvia that confirmed World Cup qualification.

Phil Foden's superb commencement to nan play pinch Manchester City, returning to his champion aft a disappointing run past clip out, intends he must besides beryllium factored into an equation which equals patient title for England's number 10 role.

When asked by BBC Sport's Alex Howell whether nan brace could play successful nan aforesaid team, Tuchel appeared to move acold h2o connected nan notion.

"Rather than uncovering nan champion players a position to conscionable person them connected nan field, it's possibly amended to put everyone successful their champion position and person a competition. At nan moment, nan title is betwixt nan 2 of them," he said.

He added: "They are friends truthful it tin besides beryllium a friends competition. They don't person to beryllium enemies. They don't person to dislike each other. They are respectful. They are friends pinch each different and they conflict astatine nan infinitesimal for nan aforesaid position.

"Can they play together? Yes, but successful a different building and astatine nan infinitesimal it's not nan infinitesimal to alteration our structure."

In different words, fto nan champion subordinate - and friend - win.

Rogers has featured successful each 8 games and played 460 minutes nether Tuchel - making 5 starts, scoring 1 extremity and registering 1 assist. Bellingham has made 3 starts nether nan German, totalling 265 minutes - including an quality arsenic substitute - but has yet to get connected nan scoresheet.

Bellingham missed 2 world games pinch a enarthrosis wounded and - on pinch Foden - was left retired of past month's squad.

The smart money remains connected Bellingham's acquisition pinch England and Real Madrid winning Tuchel's action conflict successful nan summer, but nan caput coach has already made it clear reputations count for nothing. Performance is what matters.

Rogers has shown he tin flourish successful Tuchel's England squad structure, arsenic good arsenic adhd flourishes, while Bellingham has proved he tin nutrient moments of game-changing brilliance for nine and state - a priceless plus astatine a awesome tournament.

It now depends, not only connected performances, but connected whether Tuchel wants that system team, aliases whether he goes for nan moments of magic he knows Bellingham tin provide.

While Bellingham's return to nan England fold felt inevitable, his spot successful nan starting line-up is little so. But would a subordinate of his value really beryllium near out?

Tuchel is intelligibly crystallising his last plans, but Rogers' caller inclusion is much than conscionable a trial.

"I didn't consciousness america experimenting successful nan past 2 camps and we will not commencement successful this camp." Tuchel said. "We are present to build connected what we built and support connected going."

A "bit of a hamstring niggle" for Rogers whitethorn springiness Bellingham nan chance to commencement his rehabilitation against Serbia astatine Wembley connected Thursday, but location is nary uncertainty nan subordinate who has conscionable signed a six-year statement astatine Aston Villa has made a beardown lawsuit done weight of performances.

Tuchel, however, is delighted to person Bellingham astatine his disposal again aft nan understandable sound caused by leaving him out, moreover though nan 22-year-old wanted to beryllium included.

"Jude deserves to beryllium back, it's bully to person him back," said Tuchel. "Everyone is happy to beryllium successful campy and nan cognition and power connected nan training transportation is wherever we want it to be."

England's games against Serbia and Albania - which reason their World Cup qualifiers - whitethorn beryllium dormant rubbers, pinch qualification secured, but they are highly important erstwhile it comes to deciding who plays successful that cardinal area erstwhile nan tourney starts.

Rogers revealed nan grade of his relationship pinch Bellingham erstwhile he said: "I don't retrieve it, but apparently he came to my 5th day party."

They are often seen together connected England work and Rogers has said previously: "It made it moreover sweeter, sharing nan transportation pinch him again. It's truthful nice, knowing I tin stock these moments pinch him and that he feels happy and proud arsenic well.

"My mum knows his parents rather well, to do pinch activity and stuff. We person ever been astir each other, playing against each different successful nan academies.

"Being successful nan first under-15 campy together, some being from Birmingham, we benignant of stuck to each other.

"We grew up astir apt 5 minutes distant from each other. We person benignant of been rivals, maine arsenic West Brom and him astatine Birmingham City."

Bellingham and Rogers person been pitted against each different successful nan conflict for a place, on pinch Foden, but it is still a heartwarming communicative of really 2 boys, calved successful Stourbridge and Halesowen respectively, person taken nan travel to specified prominence and importance.

Rogers took nan much scenic way to nan top, starting astatine West Bromwich Albion, earlier moving to Manchester City, wherever he had indebtedness spells astatine Lincoln City, Bournemouth and Blackpool earlier joining Middlesbrough successful July 2023.

He impressed truthful overmuch connected Teesside that Villa head Unai Emery made it his individual business to motion Rogers, clinching a woody connected 1 February 2024, for a reported £8m - perchance rising to £15m.

Such has been his advancement astatine Villa, that erstwhile Chelsea were linked pinch a move successful nan summer, Rogers was regarded arsenic a subordinate who could perchance beryllium placed successful nan £100m bracket.

Bellingham's travel has been much direct, from his beloved Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund past Real Madrid - wherever he claimed nan awesome prizes of La Liga and nan Champions League successful his first season.

Now they person their sights group connected arriving together astatine adjacent summer's World Cup successful Canada, Mexico and nan United States - but who will deterioration England's treasured number 10 shirt?