No arguments were settled about the Rogers-Bellingham conundrum on this night, other than to confirm the childhood friends from the Midlands are giving Tuchel the most pleasant of selection headaches.
The betting would still be on Bellingham starting the World Cup, but Rogers has made his mark. Bellingham is likely to start against Albania in Tirana, so it is now over to him.
Manchester City’s Foden is an outsider to force his way into that discussion, but there is no doubt he made a big impression on Tuchel with a lively 25-minute cameo, forcing his way through dangerous central areas, where the head coach wants him, creating several moments of danger as well as setting up Eze’s goal.
Kane is, understandably, an immovable object as England’s spearhead, but Foden is clearly in Tuchel’s thinking as he said: “He was excellent. You can see he is full of confidence. He showed it.
“I like to have him in centre of pitch in close connection with other players. He did well. It is a big ask to challenge Harry at the moment. He is in the shape of his life. But to be an accomplice and share some minutes, then he is an option.
“You can see he is full of confidence. You can see it in the first minutes when you meet him. You feel he is light and he is smiling. His movements are a joy to watch, you can see he is competitive.”
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, yet to concede a goal in World Cup qualifying and with a record 10th successive clean sheet, also echoed the benefits of Tuchel’s squad strength.
He said: “It just gives us variety, and everyone knows how great Harry is at coming down low to get the ball and start spraying balls. Phil Foden comes on and nearly gets two goals. It’s great to have those options going forward.
“We have got the depth as team England. You have to be playing well and Jude is playing well at his club. It’s his first camp since the summer. He has come on tonight and made a massive impact.
“You have to give that credit to Morgan, he has come in the last few games and stepped up. The manager has put the trust in him even though we have someone like Jude and Phil on the bench. We have a lot of options. It’s about being team England sticking together moving forward.”
Foden’s Manchester City team-mate Nico O’Reilly made an accomplished senior debut at left-back, a position still up for grabs, while Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa grows in stature with every game, a genuine contender for a place in central defence with John Stones and Marc Guehi.
Rashford faces competition on the left flank, especially from Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, missing here with a hip injury, as well as Arsenal’s Noni Madueke when he is fit again, but his renaissance at Barcelona has put him back in the frame.
He had moments at Wembley, especially with some superb sleight of foot, but both he and Tuchel would have wished for better end product. He still has work to do to keep rivals at bay.
The scenery for England’s World Cup auditions now shifts to Tirana against Albania on Sunday – with it all still to play for in the battle for places.
