England manager Thomas Tuchel is expected to name a 'strong' starting line-up for their game against Serbia, with Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers likely to retain his place in the number 10 position.
Rogers has clearly impressed Tuchel during his time with England, despite an inconsistent start to the season with Villa. This will now be his fourth straight game in the starting XI under Tuchel, if he is named in the side as expected.
Rogers has provided four goals and assists combined for Villa this season, and has improved as the campaign has gone on. Villa got off to a disappointing start, but Rogers has remained a key player under Unai Emery, and Tuchel clearly fancies him for the national team too.
England: Morgan Rogers to Start for Thomas Tuchel
Morgan Rogers celebrating after scoring for England against Wales
According to David Ornstein, Rogers is expected to start for England against Serbia on Thursday night in the number 10 position ahead of Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham. The latter is expected to be on the bench, while Rogers will start for the fourth game in a row for his country.
Speaking on the number 10 position in his recent press conference, Tuchel stressed that it's going to be difficult for some of their star players to play in the same side. The former Chelsea boss claimed that Rogers and Bellingham are both competing for the same role, and he isn't likely to change his structure to fit them both in the starting XI.
“They are friends so it can also be a friendly competition. They don’t have to be enemies. They don’t have to hate each other. They are respectful. They are friends with each other and they fight at the moment for the same position. Can they play together? Yes, but in a different structure and at the moment it’s not the moment to change our structure.”
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops heading towards the World Cup in 2026. The likes of Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden, among others, will also be looking for a place in the side, but it's going to be incredibly difficult for Tuchel to find a solution that keeps every single player happy.