Bellingham on the bench! Carragher backs Rogers to start but wrans Tuchel

Jude Bellingham Morgan Rogers England 2026 World Cup Camp

Former England defender Jamie Carragher expects Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham to be benched in favour of Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers at the upcoming World Cup. The pundit warned manager Thomas Tuchel that omitting such a high-profile figure could easily trigger a massive media storm and completely dominate the airwaves throughout the national team's tournament this summer.

Carragher predicts sensational Bellingham benching

Speaking on The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast on Wednesday, Carragher claimed that Rogers is currently leading the race for the number 10 role over Bellingham. The former defender fears that Tuchel dropping the Real Madrid star could quickly spark a massive media circus.

Explaining the potential friction, 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 that will be really interesting to see how the tournament goes on. That dynamic between Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham, whether he gets in the team and, if he's not in the team, what happens? That is going to dominate airwaves all summer."

jude bellingham england

Rogers consistency gives Tuchel selection dilemma

Bellingham's struggles with injury and fitness issues throughout the season opened up the opportunity for Rogers to take over as the primary choice under Tuchel, featuring in all eight World Cup qualifiers while his positional rival played in only four. Rogers also played the full 90 minutes in the recent friendly against Japan, while Bellingham remained an unused substitute. The Aston Villa hero started in the latest display against New Zealand and was taken off at half-time, when Bellingham was brought off the bench.

Highlighting this impressive domestic form, Carragher added: "I just don't think he leaves Rogers out when he's been his man for the England team, he's finished the season strongly and scored in a European final. Honestly, it could blow up at the World Cup. It is how it is managed by both of them, Tuchel and Bellingham. He will start with Rogers and I do think maybe by the third game, Bellingham will find himself back in because he's too big of a figure, too much of a good player and [produces] big moments."

Wright, Richards & Neville weigh in

The selection dilemma has completely divided opinion among prominent experts. Micah Richards strongly argued that a genuine superstar like Bellingham simply must start, while Ian Wright backed the player to respond positively without sulking.

However, Gary Neville questioned whether the manager will deeply regret leaving major talents like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer out of the tournament squad entirely. The former full-back expressed deep concern over how this incredibly gifted generation is being managed, noting that several of the most talented players in the country, including Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, are either left out of the starting XI or completely excluded from the tournament roster.

Thomas Tuchel - England

What's next for the Three Lions?

England fly to their World Cup base in Kansas City on Saturday to finalise preparations before their opening fixture against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. Some squad members could feature in a behind-closed-doors training match against Miami United on Thursday. Tuchel must quickly resolve these high-profile selection issues if the Three Lions are to secure global glory this summer.