Rogers to start for England in Serbia 2026 World Cup qualifier

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers is set to start for England in Tuesday's 2026 World Cup qualifier against Serbia in Belgrade, manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed ahead of the match scheduled for 19:45 BST.

Tuchel said he would rotate his side following Saturday's win over Andorra, with Rogers and Anthony Gordon expected to be handed attacking roles. Tino Livramento and Ezri Konsa are also in line to feature for England, while Dan Burn, Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford — who started against Andorra — are expected to make way.

Rogers, who has seven senior England caps, will join a retooled attack in Belgrade as Tuchel prepares for what has been described as arguably the toughest test of his tenure. The match is one of England's early fixtures in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and comes after the squad recorded a win away to Andorra at the weekend.

Arsenal full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly did not make the final 23-man squad for the Serbia match and will definitely miss out, Tuchel confirmed. The selection changes underline Tuchel's intention to manage player workloads across a busy international calendar while assessing squad depth ahead of more decisive fixtures later in the campaign.

Tuchel has overseen a sequence of selections since taking charge of the national team, balancing established internationals with players pushing for more minutes at senior level. England's lineup for the trip to Belgrade will be watched closely for how Tuchel pairs experience with the squad's emerging talents as the qualifying campaign progresses.

Kick-off is set for 19:45 BST in Belgrade, where England will aim to collect points on the road in Group qualifying. Further team news and the confirmed starting XI are expected to be announced by Tuchel in his pre-match update and the official match build-up ahead of kick-off.