‘Roles can always change’ - Tuchel claims Bellingham not a guaranteed starter

Tuchel claimed that the Real Madrid star is "one of 14 or 15 potential starters" as competition for places intensifies

Bellingham, who captained the side for the second half of the 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand on Saturday, featured in only four of England's eight qualifying matches. 

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers was the only player to appear in every qualifier, often getting the nod ahead of the Real Madrid midfielder.

When asked directly if Bellingham had a battle on his hands to make the starting XI, Tuchel was unequivocal. 

"Yes, he has," the manager confirmed. "He is one of the starters, he knows he is one of the starters, but we have 14 or 15 potential starters. 

“These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are like 14 or 15 proper starters and Jude is one of them."

During the friendly in Tampa, both Bellingham and Rogers played 45 minutes in the No. 10 role, with Bellingham's performance drawing praise from the coach. "He looks good. He looks good in training," Tuchel said of the 22-year-old. 

"I think he is at the moment in a sweet spot because he has had his break and he has the hunger to be back on the pitch... he is so happy to be back."

Tuchel elaborated on his squad hierarchy ahead of the opening World Cup match against Croatia on June 17, revealing he sees the 26-man squad in three distinct tiers. 

"We have 14 or 15 potential starters and then there is a special group… and then there are guys who finish matches for us and get the energy right." 

He confirmed that while the media may speculate, he has already informed each player of their current standing, which could change before the tournament begins.

Meanwhile, Tuchel has slammed England's "freestyle" football in a narrow win over New Zealand