Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers in Tug-of-War for England Call-Up

England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are locked in direct competition for a place in his team ahead of the final international camp of the year.

Jude Bellingham has returned to the England squad for the first time since recovering from shoulder surgery, while Rogers has impressed in his absence, starring in the No.10 role as England sealed qualification for next summer’s World Cup with two games to spare.

Speaking ahead of England’s clash with Serbia on Thursday, Tuchel praised both players but admitted that, for now, there is room for only one of them in his preferred system.

“Rather than finding a position for the best players just to have them on the field, it is maybe better to put everyone in their best position and have a competition,” Tuchel said. “At the moment the competition is between the two of them. They are friends, so it’s a friendly competition. They don’t have to be enemies or hate each other. They’re respectful and they fight for the same position.

“Can they play together? Yes, but in a different structure — and now is not the moment to change the structure.”

Tuchel has sought to maintain consistency in his selections as he builds towards the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. His focus, he says, is on creating a strong team spirit and what he calls a “brotherhood” within the squad.

Despite the competition for places, Tuchel said Bellingham’s return has lifted the mood around camp.

“It’s been good to have him back,” the England boss said. “There’s been a great atmosphere in the last two days and everyone is happy to be in camp. The mood is light, the energy on the training pitch is where we want it to be, and the competition is real. We have one more session to go before we face Serbia — and Jude Bellingham is a big part of that.”

Tuchel’s England have won seven of their eight games since he took charge, including six World Cup qualifiers without conceding a goal. With qualification secured, the manager is expected to rotate his squad slightly for the final two matches, though the battle for the No.10 role remains one of his toughest decisions yet.