Thomas Tuchel’s choice to start Morgan Rogers over Bukayo Saka on the right flank is the sharpest pre-match detail around England vs Argentina. Wayne Rooney liked it, saying top managers sometimes “go on a feeling” and that Tuchel clearly believed Rogers could have a big impact. That is where the semi-final already has a different feel to a standard preview.

Tuchel's choice on Morgan Rogers

Rooney’s point was backed by Micah Richards, who highlighted Rogers’ flexibility across the front line. “He can come off the left, he can play in the centre and he can come off the right,” Richards said. For Tuchel, that versatility is probably the real selling point. Rogers has had four short-to-medium tournament appearances before the semi-final, so this is not a conservative pick based on heavy tournament rhythm.

Rogers also had no goals in the tournament data supplied here, which makes the selection more about role and fit than end product. England have been unbeaten in their last five World Cup matches, so Tuchel is making an aggressive call from a position of relative stability rather than crisis.

The Bellingham row around the BBC interview

The other story hanging over the game is Jude Bellingham. He was questioned by ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke immediately after England’s quarter-final win over Norway, and Tuchel later held clear-the-air talks with him after the interview.

Joe Hart said the question was “a bit naughty” because it focused only on the negative. Mark Chapman pushed back, saying it was a “perfectly normal question” after the manager had given his interview. Harry Kane was more direct, saying it is easy to create division and that “things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.” Bellingham himself called it a tough shift and backed the players who had put in the work.

That row matters less as a crisis than as a sign of how closely this team is being watched. Bellingham has a recent World Cup rating peak of 9.3 and five goal contributions across the supplied sample, so England are debating the response of one of their most decisive players, not a peripheral squad man.

Mac Allister’s view from the Argentina camp

Alexis Mac Allister, who won the World Cup in 2022 while playing for Liverpool rival Aston Villa? No, that would be wrong, so let’s keep it straight: he won it while playing for Brighton. He said England are physically strong but have not played with the same intensity that characterises the Premier League, though he was careful to add that his side have “enormous respect” for them.

Mac Allister also said the mental side of the game is “extremely important” and that Argentina will not change their approach. His recent World Cup form sits at 6.7, with a high of 6.9 in the sample, which fits a player who is controlling games rather than dominating headlines.

The build-up to England vs Argentina has been louder than usual, but the key football decision is still Tuchel’s trust in Rogers. The rest is the noise that comes with a semi-final.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →