Carragher expects England star to be benched for first World Cup match

Former England international Jamie Carragher believes midfielder Jude Bellingham will not start England's opening match at this year's World Cup.   

The Three Lions kicked off their preparations on Saturday with a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, where manager Thomas Tuchel played two separate teams in each half. 

There is one more warm-up match remaining for England, and that takes place on Wednesday against Costa Rica in Orlando, and with the full squad now in the States, it will likely give fans a better idea of who will be Tuchel's first eleven for the opening group match with Croatia on June 17. 

Carragher predicts Rogers to start over Bellingham

One of the key position battles during Tuchel's tenure has been the number 10, where Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers appears to have the edge over Real Madrid's Bellingham. 

Not too long ago, Bellingham was being heralded as the man to inspire England to a first trophy since 1966, however, he has often found himself on the bench under Tuchel, and it is still unknown the reason as to why the pair do not completely see eye-to-eye. 

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Carragher gave his thoughts on Bellingham's chances of starting against Croatia on The Overlap, and he can't see a reason as to why Bellingham will start unless Rogers is injured come kick off in Dallas. 

"I think Tuchel is strong enough, I think he’s shown already with how he’s dealt with Jude," Carragher said. 

"He’s left him out of a couple of squads, things have been said, there’s a relationship to be worked on, I would say from both parties.

"I don’t see a situation where unless Morgan Rogers gets injured in the warm-up games, Jude Bellingham starts the first game."

'I think England will find it tough' 

England are one of the favourites to lift the trophy come July, and the FA did set out a goal to win the 2026 edition of the World Cup. 

However, some are still yet to be convinced that England are real contenders, with Tuchel yet to excite fans with his performances. However, this is not through no fault of his own. 

England's qualifying campaigns are a walk in the park, with the Three Lions having to largely face the minnows of international football, meaning they do not face any real tests until a major tournament. 

Carragher is someone who is nervous about England's performances in the United States, claiming that some of the 26-man squad may not have the attributes to be successful on the international stage. 

"I think they will find it tough, I look at the squad that’s been picked, there’s a lot of good players in there, I class them as a lot of good Premier League players. I don’t look at them all and think that’s a good international player.

"I wouldn’t say I’m the most optimistic right now."

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