Tuchel says Bellingham faces competition for England place

The competition for a place in England's starting line-up at the World Cup is open, including for one of the team's main names.

Coach Thomas Tuchel stated that midfielder Jude Bellingham faces strong competition to start playing at the World Cup and highlighted the depth of the English squad on the eve of the competition.

At 22 years old, the Real Madrid player participated in just four World Cup qualifying matches. On the other hand, Morgan Rogers, from Aston Villa, was present in the eight games of the campaign, highlighting Tuchel's challenge to define who will occupy the number 10 role.

When asked about Bellingham's need to fight for a place in the starting team, the coach was direct.

"Yes, he needs it. He knows he's one of the starters, but we have between 14 and 15 players who can start playing," said Tuchel.

"These roles can change at any time, but right now I believe we have between 14 and 15 players who are potential starters, and Jude is one of them," he added.

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Last Saturday (6), the team started the sequence of friendlies with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand, in Tampa. The only goal of the match was scored by Harry Kane.

During the second half of the match, Bellingham wore the England captain's armband for the first time. The change occurred amid the rotation promoted by Tuchel due to the high temperatures and high humidity found in the region.

Despite the competition for positions, the coach expressed satisfaction with the midfielder's physical condition after his return from injury.

"He's doing very well in training. I think he's in an ideal moment because he's had his rest period and is really looking forward to playing again," said the German.

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Tuchel has emphasized the importance of squad depth and tactical flexibility for the World Cup. According to the coach, several players are capable of starting matches, while others could be used to change the course of games by coming off the bench.

The English commander did not confirm whether Bellingham is officially part of his group of leaders. However, he revealed on Sunday (7) that midfielder Declan Rice will be England's vice-captain during the World Cup.

Before their debut in the tournament, the English still face Costa Rica in a friendly this Wednesday (10).

The first match in the World Cup will be against Croatia, on June 17, in Dallas.

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Source: CNN