Matt Maher: It's shaping up to be Halesowen v Stourbridge for a place in England's World Cup XI

The pair, pals since childhood who regularly played both against and alongside each other in their teenage years, would appear in direct competition for a starting spot in Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions line-up.

Right now it is Halesowen-born Rogers, having backed up his excellent performance against Serbia last month with a goal and man-of-the-match display in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Wales, who has stolen a march over his fellow Midlander.

Bellingham, somewhat remarkably, for the moment finds himself on the outside looking in, not selected for the current squad despite his wishes having recovered from shoulder surgery.

No-one is doubting the 22-year-old’s ability for a second, not least Tuchel. Bellingham has the potential to be the greatest player of his or any other generation. Barring injury, he will be on the plane to America next summer, no question. If England are to win the World Cup, he will have a big role to play.

Whether he is guaranteed a place in the starting XI, however, now feels rather less certain than before.

In a week when Steven Gerrard bemoaned the inability of England’s so-called golden generation to focus on the team rather than the individual, branding them “egotistical losers”, the win over Wales provided a timely reminder the best blend doesn’t have to include all your best players.

The folly of so many managers, most notably of Sven-Goran Eriksson, of trying to cram too many stars into the same team, to the effect the Three Lions never truly lived up to the sum of their parts.

Gareth Southgate was the first to really buck the trend. One of his first acts, when still in the job on an interim basis, was to effectively end the international career of Wayne Rooney, a player who had always been guaranteed a place in the XI regardless of performance.

From that point on, Southgate was never afraid to leave big players out, or ignore any outside pressure to play those others thought he should. See one Jack Grealish, for evidence of that.

Tuchel seems to have no qualms adopting the same approach and the short-term nature of his tenure, with his contract lasting only 18 months, means he can do so in a more robust manner.

To think after last month’s match against Andorra the German was facing accusations of being dull. 

Since then England have won their next two matches by an aggregate 8-0 score and Tuchel even felt emboldened enough to criticise supporters for not cheering enough after Thursday’s win.

When your sole mission is to win the World Cup, with a contract which expires straight after next summer’s tournament, you need not worry so much about ruffling feathers. The way things are shaping up, Tuchel’s reign promises to be anything but boring.

It has already been far from the case when it comes to Bellingham, with their relationship the subject of increasing scrutiny. 

Back in the summer, Tuchel had to apologise after saying in an interview his mother found some aspects of the players’ behaviour “repulsive” - an awful choice of word which he should have known better than to use, even when speaking his second language.

It meant the head coach’s larger point, how Bellingham’s aggressive personality on the pitch - or his “edge” as Tuchel put it - can sometimes have a negative effect on his team-mates was rather lost despite being a more than valid observation.

Such was Bellingham’s rapid rise, to the extent that like Rooney, he arrived in the game in his mid-teens already a seemingly fully formed professional, it is easy to forget at 22 he still has things to learn.

One of those now will be patience, as he is far from assured a route straight back into the England XI whenever Tuchel deems him ready for recall.

There is certainly not much you would want to change about central midfield, judging by the last two matches, with Elliot Anderson providing the perfect foil for Declan Rice.

That leaves the No.10 position behind Harry Kane in which, against both Serbia and Wales, Rogers excelled. It would be harsh in the extreme to remove the Villa man for the line-up, so long as he maintains the kind of form from those games.

This has been a curious start to the season for Rogers, to put it mildly. Just a fortnight before being lauded for his performance against Wales, the 23-year-old was being sarcastically cheered by some sections of the Villa Park crowd when he struggled to complete a pass against Bologna.

His two excellent showings for England have therefore been met by some bemusement, if not a little frustration, by fans of his club.

Yet they were also a reminder of his class and for the moment the shirt would appear his to lose with two of his oldest friends, Bellingham and Cole Palmer, watching on.

The standard of the opposition, of course, must be taken into account. Opinions can quickly change and all it would need is for Tuchel’s men to struggle in Latvia on Tuesday to do that. Bellingham will still be a huge part of the head coach's plans. At some point, he is going to need him on top form.

It feels no bad thing for the region it is another kid from the Black Country most putting Bellingham's place under threat.