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England head coach Thomas Tuchel during a press conference at Wembley this month Henry Nicholls/Getty Images England’s flawless World Cup qualifying campaign wrapped up with a 2-0 win in Albania yesterday, courtesy of two close-range finishes from Harry Kane. Now the focus can turn fully to the summer and the final preparations for the World Cup. Over the past eight months, head coach Thomas Tuchel has made important progress in figuring out the tactics, personnel and approach he wants for his England team. While the starting line-up is starting to come into focus, important decisions still need to be made. Advertisement We asked The Athletic’s Michael Cox, Stuart James, Oli Kay, and Jack Pitt-Brooke to weigh in on Tuchel’s five biggest questions before the World Cup. Jack Pitt-Brooke: This has been the biggest England story of the last two months, as Tuchel showed striking faith in Morgan Rogers, who was brought into the line-up for September’s away game in Serbia and gave the performance of his international career in a 5-0 win. Jude Bellingham’s return has provided what Tuchel calls “friendly competition” between the pair. Rogers works hard and has shown moments of real quality, such as his assist for Noni Madueke in Belgrade, but Bellingham has a higher ceiling. He is a greater goal threat than Rogers and provides inspirational moments. The Real Madrid midfielder has already proven that in three international tournaments, and while he was not always at his best at Euro 2024, his goals against Serbia and Slovakia proved what he can do when it matters most. England are capable of greater things with Bellingham. They just need to get him to fit into the system and gel with his team-mates. Michael Cox: With respect to Rogers, a very talented youngster (and acknowledging Tuchel’s system-first approach), it’s difficult to imagine the 23-year-old going into the World Cup as England’s No 10 unless his club form improves — it’s only a few weeks since Aston Villa supporters were jeering him and Unai Emery was forced to defend his player. Bellingham still seems a more realistic option, with Cole Palmer a wildcard from the bench, as he was in the Euro 2024 final. Stuart James: Tuchel has played his hand well here, helped by Rogers delivering in Bellingham’s absence. Not so long ago, it would have been unthinkable for Bellingham not to start. But Tuchel has given him a little jolt, and perhaps at just the right time. The narrative during this latest international camp has been shaped around Bellingham versus Rogers, but it’s more complex than that. Advertisement Phil Foden and Palmer, who is injured, are also in the mix for a central attacking role. It’s hard, however, to come away from the idea that Bellingham needs to be in the team. He is a world-class footballer and England will have a far better chance of success next summer if he’s playing at the top of his game. That said, it ain’t all about you, Jude. Oli Kay: I would prefer 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1. I’m not expecting that to be Tuchel’s system, but if it were, that would point towards Bellingham, who would be more comfortable than the others in a midfield three. Whatever the system, whether it’s as the most advanced of a midfield three or behind the centre-forward in a 4-2-3-1, my answer is Bellingham. I love Palmer and Foden, but I prefer Bellingham there. James: Sorry to sound negative but I’m not enthused by the prospect of Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford fighting it out for this spot. Gordon hasn’t scored or assisted in the Premier League since January and, in my mind, doesn’t merit a place in England’s best XI. At least Rashford has been in better form in La Liga, where he sits joint-top of the assist charts (six, level with Getafe’s Luis Milla). Gordon and Rashford should be impact substitutes at the World Cup, rather than starters. I’m inclined to go for Eberechi Eze on the left wing, even though it’s not his natural position. His performance in Sunday’s 2-0 win against Albania won’t have strengthened his claims, but Eze brings a mix of flair and a goal threat. His finish against Serbia on Thursday was lovely. Cox: Much depends on the style and identity of the left-back, but Eze seems the best choice here. He’s not a natural winger, granted, but those who remember, for example, Andres Iniesta and Mesut Ozil playing from the left for World Cup-winning sides in 2010 and 2014 will consider that something like this is often the best compromise. Eze has the dribbling ability to play that role, and his goal against Serbia shows how comfortable he is in those zones. Kay: Many of England’s best players are left-footers who are so effective when cutting inside from the right: Palmer, Foden, Bukayo Saka. But they are also more than good enough to play on the left. Some will see that as a case of square pegs and round holes, but they’re all multifunctional footballers who have the intelligence to play there. I quite like the idea of Saka and Foden switching wings, keeping the opponents guessing. Rashford and Gordon are clearly good options, but I would prefer them off the bench. Advertisement Pitt-Brooke: I would still go for Rashford over Gordon. Even though we are waiting for Rashford to truly deliver for England this year, he is a better player, more dangerous, more incisive, more explosive. Too many of his performances have been frustrating, with moments of menace but no real productivity but he will worry opponents more, create more space for Kane, and if he does finally click into form, then he can be a more dangerous attacking weapon than Gordon. Some hunches are worth sticking with. Kay: My view on this changes by the week. Nico O’Reilly is probably my favourite this week, but he’s still learning the position, as are Myles Lewis-Skelly and Tino Livramento. Lewis Hall was outstanding for the under-21s on Friday. They’re all young players with a lot of potential but a limited track record at the highest level. It’s nice to have a lot of options at left-back suddenly, but I couldn’t tell you which one will make the most compelling case between now and next June. Pitt-Brooke: England have no obvious candidate here. Lewis-Skelly has performed well but is not even in this squad, having not yet started a Premier League game for Arsenal this season. Even though he has not played since September, the outstanding candidate is Livramento, who did everything asked of him in that win in Belgrade in September. But he has missed the last two camps and needs to be fit and selected for the games in March to get back into the picture. Djed Spence’s one-v-one defending against top-quality opponents would become increasingly useful as the World Cup goes on but he probably offers less in the final third than some of his colleagues. O’Reilly played both games in November and looked lively going forward. If he keeps up his form for City for the next few months, he will be very difficult to look past in March. But my initial faith is in Livramento. Cox: Although the emergence of Lewis-Skelly and O’Reilly at least provides more options, it’s near-impossible to judge at this point. Either of those players might have been a regular in a title-winning side by the end of the campaign. Either of them might have been eased out of their club side and another might prove a better option. Let’s be honest here: there’s no Stuart Pearce, there’s no Ashley Cole. As was the case before Euro 2024, we don’t know who will be the best option in seven months. James: A little while ago, I would have said this was a straight choice between Lewis-Skelly and Livramento, and plumped for the former. But 19-year-old Lewis-Skelly has lost his place at Arsenal, and Livramento is injured, opening the door to O’Reilly. That said, it would be a leap of faith to say this quickly that O’Reilly deserves the shirt. Spence might be an excellent one-v-one defender, but I don’t like the idea of a right-footed left-back, which, of course, also applies to Livramento. Crikey, I’m tying myself in knots here. If — and it’s a big if right now — Lewis-Skelly can get back into the Arsenal team, he would be my choice, based on the fact that he’s also so comfortable rolling into midfield. Cox: It’s surprisingly tough to separate Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and John Stones. Stones has the experience, but Konsa and Guehi’s partnership has looked very good. Again, much may have changed in six months. If the World Cup starts tomorrow, it’s Konsa and Guehi. If Stones plays reliably until the end of the season, that might change — but he has only played 90 minutes in the Premier League five times since Euro 2024. Advertisement Kay: Guehi and Stones. And I agree with the notion of it being Stones plus one, even though his injury record is a real concern. If Stones is fit, England’s prospects will be a lot brighter. As a partnership, it lacks some muscularity and physical presence, so I could see Harry Maguire or Dan Burn coming into the equation, even though they are less accomplished on the ball. Central defence is a concern. Pitt-Brooke: Stones will start if fit. He is one of England’s best and most experienced players, as irreplaceable in his own way as Jordan Pickford, Declan Rice or Kane. Without him at the World Cup, England will struggle to build up from the back or keep the ball under pressure. There is very little between Konsa and Guehi alongside him. Tuchel likes both of them, both as players and characters. Kane was full of praise for Guehi this week, for showing up for this camp even though he had a foot injury, and for being around the group so that he could attend the meetings and watch training. I’d go for Guehi over Konsa, but only marginally. Guehi is quicker and smoother in possession, which England will need if they are trying to play a possession game. James: The easiest question to answer: Stones and Guehi. Their attributes complement one another and, on paper, they’re the best two England centre-backs. Konsa has developed superbly under Emery at Villa and he looks more and more comfortable in an England shirt, which I guess is why this isn’t as cut and dried as I’ve made out. As for Burn, he offers versatility and an aerial threat (that includes scoring curling headers) but realistically, it’s hard to see him starting in England’s best team. The big question is whether Stones can stay fit. If he can, Stones and Guehi is a solid pairing. James: Well, this is a struggle. And at the risk of sounding old, the mind goes back to the mid-1990s when some outstanding English goalscorers struggled to get a sniff — and that was when there were two places available to start up top. The cupboard looks bare now. In normal circumstances, Ollie Watkins would be the go-to man but he looks out of sorts. Dominic Solanke has been injured. Ivan Toney is out of sight and out of mind at Al Ahli Saudi Arabia. Liam Delap’s season at Chelsea hasn’t got going. At what point does Danny Welbeck become a genuine candidate? Outside of Welbeck, I can only see makeshift solutions — Rashford playing as a No 9 when Kane comes off or Foden being deployed as a false nine. That said, it’s only November and that means a lot can change, so there’s every chance that someone will be back in form by the time England play next, in March. Here’s hoping. Advertisement Cox: Foden’s stint up front against Serbia showed that he’s being considered there. Possibly his best game for Manchester City, in a 4-1 win over Liverpool back in 2021, came when he was essentially playing as a forward. Clearly, Erling Haaland means he won’t play there much for his club these days. But it depends on the nature of the opposition. A knockout game against Spain? Foden for his link play. A group-stage fixture against Uzbekistan? I’d go for Welbeck for his penalty-box presence. Pitt-Brooke: Foden as a false nine has been the most interesting tactical development of this camp. In a brief substitute appearance against Serbia, he buzzed around dangerously and set up Eze’s goal. But Foden alone is unlikely to be enough. If Kane suffered an early injury, England would need a more conventional option. Rashford will likely go as a winger who could also fill in at No 9, although it has been some time since he has led the line for England. What they would need is someone who can play with their back to goal and hold the ball up. Tuchel mentioned Welbeck by name last week, even though he has not played for England since 2018. If the Brighton & Hove Albion striker continues his form, he could be a useful option. If Delap has a strong second half of the season for Chelsea, he could enter the conversation, too. England certainly like him. Kay: Rashford is an important option, but there has to be specialist cover at centre-forward. Kane has found it heavy going at the last few tournaments and there will be times when, either for his or the team’s benefit, Tuchel needs to give him a rest. It worked well with Toney and Watkins coming off the bench at Euro 2024. Either of those two could put himself back in the frame, as could Solanke at Tottenham Hotspur. It would be great if Delap could make a strong case, but I’m not sure Chelsea is the ideal place to receive the playing time he needs for his development. I’m increasingly taken by Michael Cox’s suggestion of recalling Welbeck, even though he turns 36 next week. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle