'And I don't want to see him sulking!' - Jude Bellingham benched by Sam Allardyce as he reveals his ideal England World Cup forward line

In a move that is sure to divide the fan base, former manager Allardyce has revealed that Bellingham would not make his preferred starting XI for the 2026 World Cup. Speaking on the Footy Accumulators'No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the 71-year-old explained that he would prefer a more in-form option to occupy the crucial creative role behind Harry Kane.

“I would have Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role. It’s a tough choice by the way, because there’s Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham as well,” Allardyce said. His decision mirrors a growing trend among pundits, as Alan Shearer also opted to leave out some of England's most established global stars from his own predicted line-up recently.

Allardyce’s proposed forward line sees Aston Villa star Rogers taking centre stage, supported by a pacey wing duo. He added: “I’d have Bukayo Saka on the right and Anthony Gordon on the left, with Harry Kane up front and Rogers in the middle. I’d have Bellingham on the bench, and I don’t want to see him sulking! I think Thomas Tuchel is pretty ruthless and if he needs a change, he’ll make it. No matter what pressure he gets from the press about his selections, he won’t care about it. He’ll do what he thinks is right for the team."

While Allardyce is happy to bench Bellingham, he is far less convinced by Tuchel's decision to leave out Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Real Madrid defender has been a high-profile absentee from recent squads, leading to intense speculation about his future under the German manager. Allardyce admitted he was baffled by the snub, citing the defender's transformative experience in Spain as a reason why he should be involved.

“I can’t quite understand Trent Alexander-Arnold being left out,” Allardyce said. “I can’t understand it because of his qualities and his experience at Real Madrid will have made him even better. Anybody experiencing Real Madrid will be a better player for it. He had his difficulties early on, but he seems to have settled in and is now playing regularly. You can’t ignore his quality. He is a bit suspect defensively, but that happens rarely because of his quality.”

The debate surrounding Alexander-Arnold has been amplified by reports of a possible rift, though Tuchel confirmed the two had spoken directly and insisted the omission was purely down to a "sportive choice". "I know that it creates noise when you leave a player like Trent out," the England boss admitted. "We had a call. I tried to explain the situation but he just has to accept it. Just a choice. A sportive choice and a difficult choice." As the World Cup approaches, Tuchel's final selection remains one of the most anticipated storylines in international football.