Ally McCoist has cautioned Jude Bellingham about his ‘confrontational’ behaviour, believing it could lead to him being sent off.
The Scottish pundit likes Bellingham’s warriorlike presence and believes he knows the limits, but has warned him all the same.
Bellingham showed his feisty side in England’s 1-0 win against Serbia, thrusting his shoulder into Filip Kostic’s chest after a 50-50 challenge.
The midfielder has previously said he is willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to win and England fans will hope he continues to combine determination and bravado with good sense.
‘He’s clever and he’s not gonna get himself sent off, but I genuinely don’t want to tempt fate because it could happen to him,’ McCoist told BoyleSports.
Ally McCoist has warned Jude Bellingham that his ‘aggression’ could land him in hot water
He fears Bellingham could get carded or sent off – but likes his warriorlike style and thinks he has sufficient self-control (seen clashing with Serbia’s Filip Kostic)
‘But I don’t think he’s gonna get caught up like that and get sent off, but he’s just letting somebody know that he’s up for it.
‘I don’t mind Jude Bellingham’s confrontational style, it’s a wind-up. Don’t worry about that, that’s a wind-up. It’s a show of aggression, but it’s a wind-up.
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‘It’s a kind of cheeky show of aggression, which I don’t mind at all. To be honest, I quite like it.’
Bellingham, 20, almost single-handedly dragged the Three Lions over the line in their opening game against Serbia.
The Real Madrid star crashed into the box and scored a header to give England the only goal of the game.
He was not as effective in the 1-1 draw with Denmark and there have been calls for Gareth Southgate to move him deeper alongside Declan Rice in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That would allow Phil Foden to move into his preferred number 10 spot and let a natural left winger such as Anthony Gordon play, but Southgate has his own idea.
The only change that Southgate is set to make tonight against Slovenia is to replace Alexander-Arnold with Conor Gallagher, handing the Chelsea man his first major tournament start.
Bellingham is once again set to play in the number 10 role for England tonight against Slovenia
He has come on in both games for Alexander-Arnold, whose experiment as a ‘quarterback’ in midfield has been of mixed success.
Gallagher is poised to play as a more traditional number eight, driving between the boxes.
Elsewhere, Kieran Trippier is expected to continue at left-back despite concerns over his workload at the tournament having only returned from a calf problem on the final day of last season.
If the game allows, Southgate could look to substitute Trippier in the second half with a view to resting the 33-year-old full-back for this weekend’s last 16 tie.
