Jamie Carragher thinks Morgan Rogers gets the first crack at England's No. 10 role, with Jude Bellingham the big name who may have to wait. Thomas Tuchel has gone the other way in public, saying Bellingham is one of his starters. The opener against Croatia comes in Dallas on June 17, so this is not a debate that can be parked for long.

Why Carragher is backing Rogers

Carragher's case is built on more than instinct. Rogers featured in all 8 World Cup qualifiers, while Bellingham featured in only 4. Rogers also played the full 90 minutes in the recent Japan friendly, with Bellingham an unused substitute.

The form argument leans the same way. Rogers posted an 8.5 rating in his most recent league appearance, along with 1 goal and 1 assist in that game. He also had a 7.6 rating in the Europa League. Bellingham, by contrast, has a 7.6 rating in his most recent Real Madrid appearances, and Tuchel said he looks good in training and is in a sweet spot after his break and injury.

Carragher was blunt about where he thinks this ends up: "I don't think Jude Bellingham is going to start the first game, I'd be surprised if he does." He also said England's opener against Croatia could be the stage for a bigger issue if Bellingham is left out, warning that it could "dominate airwaves all summer."

Tuchel still has room to keep both players involved

Tuchel's public line is not that Bellingham is out of the picture. He said Bellingham is "one of the starters" and added that England have "14 or 15 potential starters". That gives him room to rotate, especially with the squad depth around Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka around him.

But the selection call will still be judged quickly. England open against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, and if Rogers starts there, the comparison with Bellingham will follow straight away. Carragher thinks Rogers will begin the tournament in the No. 10 role and that Bellingham may work his way back in later. That is a fair reading of the recent minutes, the qualifiers data and the form line. Tuchel still has the final call, and the first one matters because it sets the tone for the rest of the tournament.

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