England fans believe Gareth Southgate is being too negative by dropping Jude Bellingham

Gareth Southgate has divided fans by leaving out Jude Bellingham for England’s clash with Wales on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old was among England’s best players in their stellar 6-2 win over Iran , but struggled to have the same impact in the Three Lions’ second game against the USA on Friday.

Southgate’s side have all but qualified for the knockout rounds already and only need to avoid defeat by more than four goals against Wales on Tuesday to make it through, which has given the manager a chance to rest Bellingham and start Jordan Henderson in his place.

Jude Bellingham will not start England’s World Cup game against Wales on Tuesday

Gareth Southgate has opted to rotate the 19-year-old, bringing in Jordan Henderson 

For same fans, leaving out a player with Bellingham’s attacking talent after a turgid 0-0 draw in England’s last game was nonsensical.

‘So we have gone from being too defensive, to adding another defensive midfielder,’ tweeted one bemused fan.

Another added: ‘Forget everything I said about England winning the World Cup, I underestimated Southgate’s clown genes.’

Some fans have been outraged at the ‘negative’ decision from Gareth Southgate

The decision from Southgate divided fans, with some feeling it was a ‘negative’ decision

Some supporters were more sympathetic to the manager, with one tweet reading: ‘This is exactly the right time in the tournament to rest some key/young players.’

Others asked more agitated fans to ‘calm down’ after the decision, seeing rotation as a sensible policy for the situation.

 However they line up, England will finish top of the table with a win against Wales, although a draw or narrow loss could see them finishing second behind the USA or Iran.

Fans will be hoping for a more encouraging performance than last time out, as the Three Lions look to build momentum on route to the knockout stage.