The majority of England’s central midfield picks itself. The question is who is going to be the third player to join Bellingham and Rice if Tuchel continues to play with the 4-2-3-1 formation he used in his first two games?
Liverpool’s Curtis Jones started in a deeper role in the first game against Albania before Morgan Rogers was given the chance in a more advanced role, similar to the one he plays in at club side Aston Villa, in the win over Latvia.
Many thought Adam Wharton, after Crystal Palace’s success in the FA Cup and his spending time training with the England senior team, would be the player to complement the duo.
But Wharton was named in the U21s again by Lee Carsley for their U21 European Championship and has since pulled out with a medical issue.
Tuchel has said he likes the physicality of the English game and his sides have featured players who are both physical and powerful runners.
Conor Gallagher has been called up this time after missing out on Tuchel’s first squad and is now playing in a deeper role at times for Atletico Madrid.
Gallagher is in the midfielder bracket, alongside Jordan Henderson and Jones, as players who could play deeper for Tuchel, allowing Bellingham to play more advanced.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has broken into the international set-up and the way he inverts into midfield from left-back means that he can be an option while England are in possession and could allow Bellingham to have a deeper starting position, so Tuchel could fit another forward-thinking player in his team.
Playing Bellingham in a deeper role would accommodate Cole Palmer or Rogers as the number 10, something he did in the 3-0 win over Latvia.
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