Bellingham at number 10? Will Saka start? It's decision time for Tuchel

England's final friendly before the World Cup was delayed by violent storms rattling around Orlando's Inter&Co Stadium – but when it finally got under way it was well worth the wait for head coach Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel was unhappy with England's lack of intensity in their opening friendly against New Zealand in Tampa, the 1-0 win effectively a glorified training session as he fielded two different teams in each half.

The 3-0 victory over Costa Rica was a sharp contrast, a fierce physical test with plenty of helpful pointers for Tuchel before England face Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.

When asked by BBC Radio 5 Live after the game whether his starting line-up on Wednesday would be the same as for that opening group game, he answered simply: "Maybe."

The German then added: "But we will always keep our cards in our hand. We will not give any decisions away because my thoughts at the moment are not for Croatia, they're for here today.

"It was a very strong line-up but it was a very strong bench as well."

So what will Tuchel be considering before he names his starting line-up?

Has Bellingham done enough to start?

Tuchel has spent recent months deflecting debate about whether Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa should take England's number 10 role when the stakes are at their highest.

The German boss has seemed happy to foster healthy competition between the two boyhood friends, but now decision time is coming.

Rogers has been the player in possession, Tuchel keeping faith with the 23-year-old as Bellingham endured a mixed season at the Santiago Bernabeu, interrupted by shoulder and hamstring injuries.

Tuchel started with Rogers against New Zealand, although nothing could be read into that as Bellingham came on for the second half and took on the captaincy.

There are effectively 14 or 15 "starters" that Tuchel has in mind within England's squad, and both are in that group.

But unless Tuchel decides to play Rogers on the left against Croatia, only one of the duo will be in that particular line-up.

It will be arguably the biggest decision of Tuchel's reign, and there was no doubt Bellingham resembled a man on a mission against Costa Rica.

He produced a superb through ball to Noni Madueke in the first half, which the Arsenal forward wasted by hitting the post after going around Costa Rica keeper Patrick Sequeira.

Bellingham showed superb sleight of foot in the build-up to England's second goal. He danced past several Costa Rica defenders in the area before finding Eberechi Eze, whose shot was handled. Anthony Gordon scored the resulting penalty.

Rogers also looked lively when he came off the bench – Bellingham briefly being used as a false nine – so the debate will continue to rage.

On this evidence, however, Bellingham will take some leaving out.

Who will play wide left and right?

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka will fill the right-sided slot if he is fit enough. A lingering Achilles tendon injury has led Tuchel to manage his minutes carefully, but he is first choice.

Saka's Arsenal team-mate Madueke produced a mixed bag of a performance on the right against Costa Rica.

The real intrigue centres on who plays on England's left. It looks to be between new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford – whose future at the Nou Camp is uncertain following his loan from Manchester United.

That is another sub-plot to the selection situation, and there is no obvious answer to who will get the nod.

Rashford was one of England's brightest sparks against New Zealand, while Gordon looked rusty as a substitute, his cause seemingly not helped by his inaction at Newcastle United in the final weeks of last season, when it became clear he was leaving Tyneside and he was left on the sidelines.

Gordon, however, did his chances no harm with a fine performance against Costa Rica, tormenting defender Shawn Johnson with electric changes of pace, making Declan Rice's opener and scoring England's second from the spot.

It presents Tuchel with another selection problem, of the sort he will enjoy – with the outside chance that he could always solve the Rogers/Bellingham dilemma by putting the Aston Villa midfielder out wide.

In all likelihood, the choice will be between Gordon and Rashford, and both will feel they have pushed their way to the front of Tuchel's thoughts in these two friendlies.