Friendlies with England: Thomas Tuchel selects his final squad ahead of his selection for the World Cup

The issue that has created the most noise since Tuchel took charge relates to his handling of Jude Bellingham and the battle for the No.10 spot.

The Real Madrid midfielder was ruled out of the October camp following an injury despite his desire to join as Tuchel would have preferred to maintain a consistent squad following excellent performances.

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers excelled in the qualifiers, starting five of England’s eight matches in the group stage, and becoming first choice No. 10.

“Instead of finding positions for my best players just so I can have them on the field, I would rather put everyone in their best positions and have some competition,” Tuchel said when talking about the pair facing off against each other.

There is no denying that Bellingham is one of the best midfielders in the world when he is fit and at his best, but the midfielder is currently recovering from a hamstring injury and has not played since 1 February.

It’s easy to forget that Bellingham is only 22, given that he has already provided some iconic moments for England such as a last-gasp scissor kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024 and his assist for Cole Palmer’s goal in the final.

Tuchel has made a point about how much his England team needs stability and unity, but if Bellingham is at his best for Madrid at the end of the season, the England coach has a very difficult decision to make.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who has also struggled with injury problems this season, barely played under Tuchel, featuring for just 65 minutes.

Phil Foden’s role in the England squad is not clear – he was called up as a reserve striker in the last camp and helped Ebereci Eze beat Serbia at Wembley in November from that position.