England manager Thomas Tuchel has made a major selection call, leaving star midfielder Jude Bellingham out of his starting eleven for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Serbia at Wembley.
The decision comes as Bellingham returns to the squad after missing the September internationals through injury and being omitted for the October fixtures.
Rogers Rewarded with Fourth Consecutive Start
In a significant show of faith, Tuchel has kept Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers in the starting line-up, handing the in-form player his fourth consecutive start for the national team. Rogers has impressed during Bellingham's absence, and his performance has been deemed sufficient to keep not only Bellingham but also the returning Phil Foden on the bench for the Thursday night fixture.
Debut for O'Reilly and Rashford's Opportunity
The team news also brings a debut for 20-year-old Nico O'Reilly, who has been preferred to Djed Spence at the left-back position. This marks a major milestone for the young defender.
Further up the pitch, Marcus Rashford gets a chance to solidify his place on the left wing. Following his excellent start to life at Barcelona, he comes into the side for the injured Anthony Gordon.
There was disappointment for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, however. The 22-year-old, who helped England win the Under-21 European Championship in the summer, received his first senior call-up but was left out of the final 23-man squad for this match. He joins the injured Marc Guehi in missing out on the action at Wembley.
