England manager Thomas Tuchel appeared to indicate Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are competing for the No 10 position in his side ahead of the World Cup.
Bellingham and Foden were both recalled by Tuchel as the Three Lions face Albania and Serbia this month as their preparations step up ahead of next summer’s tournament.
Tuchel was definitive in his views over Bellingham and Foden are both at their best in a central position, operating closely to the opposition box.
‘Jude comes back as a number 10, that’s his best position,’ Tuchel said when addressing Bellingham’s return.
‘One of his key strengths is to score from this position. He has the ability arrive and score goals that a number nine would score, which is very unusual. It might seem like easy goals, but to arrive in these positions is one of his outstanding qualities.
‘We will try to find space for him in the number 10 position to arrive and score these goals.’
Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham look set to compete for a central role in Thomas Tuchel’s side
Tuchel highlighted how Foden starred central when scoring twice against Dortmund in midweek and stressed he will not feature on the wing in his England side
The England boss stated that Bellingham will feature as a No 10, noting the Real Madrid star’s ability to arrive into the box and score as being among his key strengths
The England boss then highlighted Foden’s recent impressive form for Manchester City from central areas.
He dismissed the suggestion that Foden could operate as a winger in his side, with a central role likely putting him in direct competition with Bellingham.
‘Where Phil played against Borussia Dortmund is where I see him the strongest. He is close to the opponent’s box and a mix between a number nine and a 10.
‘Phil scores and assists more from the 18-yard box where he scored against Dortmund. He’s in the pockets and assists.
‘Main thing about him is that he gets a role in the central part of the pitch, I don’t see him as a winger anymore. Maybe not anymore.
‘He should have a central role that will bring out his strengths most. We’ve talked about this already with him.’
Bellingham and Foden had started all seven matches England played at Euro 2024, as Gareth Southgate’s side reached the final before falling to defeat against Spain.
While the tournament began with excitement over the pair linking up, concerns were raised over the set-up.
A pairing initially caused excitement ahead of Euro 2024, but struggled to bare fruit
Bellingham and Foden started Tuchel’s first match in charge in March, with the latter lining up on the right wing in a 2-0 victory against Albania at Wembley
Foden had largely proved ineffective after being moved out to the left wing, while while Bellingham largely operated in a deeper midfield role alongside Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo.
Tuchel lined up with Bellingham and Foden in his first match as England boss back in March, which saw the Three Lions earn a 2-0 win over Albania at Wembley.
Bellingham operated from the No 10 position on that occasion, while Foden played from the ring wing.
The following match against Latvia saw Bellingham start in a deeper position in midfield, before being substituted for Foden in the second half.
Tuchel, however, has opened the door for Bellingham or Foden to operate further forward in the event England captain is unavailable.
The England boss claimed Foden could operate as a ‘very fluid number nine’, while noting Bellingham’s capacity to appear in forward positions.
His comments came with Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins having been left out of the squad amid concerns over his fitness, with Tuchel also putting forward Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon as options to operate as a No 9.
