Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers given no chance to keep England spot ahead of Jude Bellingham
Morgan Rogers has no chance of going into the World Cup starting ahead of Jude Bellingham despite his form, claims Troy Deeney.
Villa forward Rogers was in Thomas Tuchel’s XI at kick off for the 2-0 victory over Serbia in the latest World Cup qualifier on Thursday, with Bellingham replacing him off the bench on 65 minutes.
The Real Madrid superstar had missed the previous four Three Lions matches due to injury, and with the likes of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden also unfit or out of form Rogers had enjoyed a run of starts ahead of Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White and co.
Rogers signed a new Aston Villa contract earlier this season after extensive transfer speculation over recent windows.
Troy Deeney expects Rogers to be dropped for World Cup
Rogers’ form for England had been outstripping his Aston Villa performances this season prior to the recent form under Unai Emery lifting.
But despite putting in some strong showings in a Three Lions shirt, including Rogers’ first England goal against Wales in October, Troy Deeney has given him no chance of keeping Bellingham out of his favoured position when the tournament kicks off in the summer.
Speaking live on talkSPORT the former Watford forward said: “I can’t see a world where we go to the World Cup with Morgan Rogers is starting over Jude Bellingham.
“I just can’t see it. Happy to be proven wrong as always, but I like the fact that [Bellingham] had to come in and earn his shirt, I do like that, but I just can’t see [that] he does it like that.”
Ollie Watkins needs to match Morgan Rogers for England
Deeney is probably right, despite Tuchel arguably handling things as properly as he can by at least maintaining the illusion of Bellingham having to win his position back.
The German might surprise and stick with Rogers from here onwards as long as the 23-year-old can stay fit and on form, internationally at least, but it wouldn’t be a huge shock for him to revert.
Aston Villa teammate Ollie Watkins surely has a far bigger opportunity ahead of him that he is currently struggling to take, with so few alternative options at striker to Harry Kane that Tuchel has been experimenting with Foden as a false-nine.
The scorer of the dramatic winner in the Euro semi-final against the Netherlands last year has only netted once in 16 appearances for Villa this term, and then Watkins missed this England camp with injury, so badly needs his luck to change when he has more control over his situation than Rogers arguably does.
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