Former England defender Jamie Carragher has predicted that Real Madrid’s midfield star Jude Bellingham might have to settle for a place on the bench, with Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers expected to start in England’s opening World Cup matches. Carragher also cautioned that this bold decision from manager Thomas Tuchel could create a major media storm and potentially overshadow England’s entire World Cup campaign this summer.

Carragher foresees Bellingham’s surprise bench role

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast on Wednesday, Carragher stated that Rogers currently appears to be ahead of Bellingham in the race for the number 10 position. The former Liverpool defender expressed his concern that Tuchel’s choice to drop the Real Madrid star could quickly become the dominant talking point throughout the tournament.

Explaining his reasoning, Carragher said, “I don’t think Jude Bellingham is going to start the first game, I’d be surprised if he does. He hasn’t had a great season, he’s had his injuries, but it will be really interesting to see how the tournament develops. That dynamic between Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham—whether he gets into the team, and if not, what happens—will dominate the airwaves all summer.”

Rogers’ consistency gives Tuchel a tough choice

Bellingham’s battles with injuries and fitness throughout the season have given Rogers the chance to cement his place in Tuchel’s plans. The Aston Villa attacker has featured in all eight World Cup qualifiers, while Bellingham managed only four appearances. Rogers also played the full 90 minutes in the recent friendly against Japan, whereas Bellingham remained on the bench. In the latest warm-up match against New Zealand, Rogers started and played the first half before Bellingham came on as a substitute.

Praising Rogers’ strong form, Carragher added, “I just don’t think Tuchel drops Rogers when he’s been his trusted man for England. He’s finished the season strongly and even scored in a European final. Honestly, it could cause a huge stir at the World Cup. It’s all about how Tuchel and Bellingham handle it. Rogers will start, but by the third game, I think Bellingham will be back in because he’s such an influential player and delivers in big moments.”

Wright, Richards and Neville share their views

The potential selection has divided opinions among football pundits. Micah Richards insisted that a player of Bellingham’s calibre must start, while Ian Wright suggested that the midfielder would take the decision in a positive spirit without showing frustration.

Gary Neville, however, questioned whether Tuchel might regret leaving out top talents like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer from the final World Cup squad. The former Manchester United full-back voiced concerns about the management of this exceptionally talented generation, pointing out that players such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze have either been benched or omitted from the squad entirely.

What lies ahead for the Three Lions?

England are set to fly to their World Cup base in Kansas City on Saturday as they wrap up their final preparations ahead of their opening match against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. A few players could feature in a behind-closed-doors training game against Miami United on Thursday. Tuchel will need to quickly resolve his key selection dilemmas if England aim to lift the World Cup trophy this summer.

How far do you think England will go in this year’s World Cup?