The Three Lions have already qualified for the World Cup, but the in-form duo have something to prove, with few games left before the tournament.
| England Markets | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jude Bellingham to score anytime vs Serbia | 2.20 |
| Phil Foden to score last vs Serbia | 6.00 |
Odds courtesy of Stake. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Tuchel recalls in-form duo
Many people were surprised when neither Bellingham nor Foden was included in the squad for England’s last two matches. Without them, Thomas Tuchel’s side eased past Wales 3-0 in a friendly before securing qualification with a 5-0 win in Latvia.
Those results followed an impressive 5-0 victory in Serbia in September. Therefore, Bellingham and Foden are going to return to a team that has been playing well. Additionally, both face a battle to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Bellingham is much more likely to swiftly get his place back. His exclusion last month was largely the result of a lack of match sharpness following shoulder surgery in the summer. The 22-year-old had only started one match all season for Real Madrid at that point, and that was a sub-par showing in the derby defeat to Atletico.
One month later, the situation was completely different. Bellingham played 90 minutes in each of Real Madrid’s last five matches, having registered three goals and an assist. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely that he will not start at the World Cup.
Morgan Rogers has played in England’s last two World Cup qualifiers, but he hasn’t been in great form for Aston Villa this season. That suggests Bellingham is at least in contention for a starting role against Serbia on Thursday night.
Even though Folden scored a brace in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund last week, he may need to be more patient. He was excluded because of his lack of form in their last match. The Man City man has still only registered one goal and one assist in the Premier League this season.
Will Bellingham and Foden shine for England?
From the start of this group, England have likely considered Serbia as the strongest of the other teams. However, they easily beat them in Belgrade, and Albania currently sit second in the standings. Therefore, Sunday’s trip to Tirana may be the tougher of the two matches for Tuchel’s side this week.
England are unbeaten in World Cup qualifying since a 1-0 away defeat to Ukraine on the final matchday 16 years ago. They’d already sealed a place at the 2010 tournament by that point. If some complacency is going to creep in, it will likely happen on Sunday, particularly if Albania need a win to secure a play-off place.
Foden’s opportunity is more likely to come in that game, although he may not play the whole match against Serbia. The 25-year-old has an average of 1.90 shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League this term. He’s seemingly more confident in front of goal, scoring with two of his last six attempts in all competitions.
Given that, there may be value in backing Foden to score last at Wembley, with an implied probability of 13.3%.
Bellingham is not a guaranteed starter, but he stands a better chance of forging his way into Tuchel’s team against Serbia. At club level, Xabi Alonso has been keen for the midfielder to spend more time in dangerous areas where he can be most impactful. As a result, the ex-Dortmund player registered at least one shot on target in each of his last eight appearances.
Tuchel may have a similar role in mind for his recalled star, with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson currently in favour as the deeper midfielders. Should he start against Serbia, Bellingham will have a point to prove, and he appears good to score anytime with an implied probability of 45.5%.