Manager Thomas Tuchel is keeping England’s players guessing about their starting XI until the day of the match.
England’s stars may not find out who they will face against Croatia until the morning of the match, as they prepare for Wednesday’s World Cup opener in Dallas.
Yes, journalists have sources and we are all looking for clues and hints from England camps, open training access and interviews.
Tuchel is known for only checking on his squad a few hours before kick-off, but we are left wondering who will be in charge for England’s World Cup opener as they aim for a winning start.
England’s Noni Madueke, who had been tipped to start ahead of Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka due to fitness issues, was asked on Monday if he knew his starting XI.
Responding to a question from the BBC’s Kelly Cates, Madueke said: “No, I don’t know yet, but it looks like you guys do. You guys are going to tell me!”
“Usually we have a team meeting before the game, on the day of the game, a few hours beforehand and we know the result then. But as of now (Monday), we don’t know.”
Here are the key decisions and what we know so far.
There are four key areas to capture. Left winger, right winger, centre-half and No.10.
Bukayo Saka is in a race against time to prove his suitability to Thomas Tuchel (Image: Eddie Keogh/The FA via Getty Images)
1. Bukayo Saka will be making his 50th cap, but the fact that he held a press conference on Monday is not the whole story. However, he had stated that he was “ready to bet” on his fitness, so this was a good indicator.
We reported on Friday that he is pushing towards a start despite not being able to train fully every day last week.
Saka has an Achilles tendon problem and cannot start and finish every game as he suffers from Achilles tendonitis and needs to be managed.
He will share duties with Maduke, a close friend and teammate for club and country. However, the atmosphere is that Saka will start against Croatia and likely play two of the three group games.
Verdict: Saka cannot be underestimated on the English stage. He is an experienced, big game player and will always contribute for England. This means he will be available for the match against Croatia.
Anthony Gordon scores England’s third goal against Costa Rica (Image: Getty Images)
2. We are looking for left wing clues.
The team, who started their final friendly against Costa Rica on Sunday, trained and ran together at the start of their training session.
That included Anthony Gordon, who may have surpassed Marcus Rashford on the left flank due to his performance and defensive quality in that game.
England manager Tuchel likes Gordon’s pressing and defensive work, which could give him an edge in the toughest games in the group.
Rashford has explosive pace, but Gordon could be used as a left-winger in the opening game. Gareth Southgate wanted to use Gordon until Euro 2024, but he fell off his bike, grazed his jaw and twisted a bit to no avail.
Verdict: This tournament could be Gordon’s chance to shine.
Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers during an England training session
3. No10 – This one looks easy.
Jude Bellingham won against Morgan Rogers because of his performance in training, his form and, let’s be honest, he has the X-factor and is built for the big moments.
Bellingham is England’s biggest name, biggest star and biggest hope when it comes to accelerating their World Cup dreams.
Verdict: Looks like it’s done. Bellingham is the starter.
Mark Gehi is competing for the starting spot with Ezri Konsa and John Stones (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
4. The centre-half decision looked like Marc Gehi and someone else. And against Costa Rica, Ezri Konsa and John Stones played together in an incredible audition.
Konsa is Tuchel’s clear favorite for his pace, tenacity and reading of the game. he loves him I think he is underrated, but the Aston Villa defender has been training very well.
Next up is the Stones. If Tuchel didn’t rate him so highly, there’s no way he would have joined the team, having barely played for Manchester City.
However, Stones is another favorite of Tuchel’s for his quality of the ball and ability to bring it out, which could lead to him getting the nod against Croatia.
Guehi probably remembers Tuchel’s first game in charge of England when he did not start, but he still wonders whether the former Chelsea manager who released him from Stamford Bridge really likes him.
But perhaps just as much in Guehi’s mind as whether Konsa and Stones really have the upper hand in the race.
Verdict: This is probably the harshest verdict. But the Stones and concertos would agree.
Here are the players most likely to be in Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI against Croatia
Jordan Pickford Reece James John Stones Ezri Consanico O’Reilly Declan Rice Elliot Anderson Bukayo Saka Jude Bellingham Anthony Gordon Harry Kane
Do you agree with John Cross? Choose your England team
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