England anticipated beginning XI vs Croatia as Thomas Tuchel makes very dangerous change

Need to know

England kick off their tournament campaign in North America in Wednesday’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas and the German could be set to spring a surprise

Here’s everything you need to know about England’s starting XI for their World Cup opener against Croatia.

• Thomas Tuchel has kept his England squad guessing over his starting XI for Wednesday’s World Cup curtain-raiser against Croatia in Dallas.
• The England stars may only find out who’s playing on the morning of the match, as Tuchel is known for revealing his team just hours before kick-off. Noni Madueke recently disclosed: “We normally have a team meeting before the game, on matchday, a few hours beforehand and find out then.”
• Four key positions are up for grabs ahead of the opener: Left wing, right wing, centre-half and No. 10.
• Bukayo Saka is poised for his 50th cap despite suffering from Achilles tendinitis and said he was “ready to gamble” on his fitness. He won’t start and finish every game due to the issue, which needs careful management.
• Anthony Gordon appears to have nudged ahead of Marcus Rashford on the left wing after impressing in training and against Costa Rica in the final pre-tournament friendly.
• Despite all the speculation to the contrary, Jude Bellingham looks set to start at No. 10 at the expense of Morgan Rogers.
• The Real Madrid star has arrived at camp rejuvenated after a challenging season at Real Madrid where he battled injuries, but he looks in top shape and is England’s best hope for World Cup glory alongside captain Harry Kane.
• Ezri Konsa and John Stones are poised to kick off the tournament as the preferred centre-back duo, with Marc Guehi making way, despite being a regular starter for much of the past two years, including at Euro 2024.
• Both Stones and Konsa are held in high regard by Tuchel. He views Konsa as his top pick at centre-back and is particularly impressed by his speed and tenacity, while Konsa enters the tournament on a high following a standout season at Aston Villa.
• Tuchel appreciates Stones’ ability on the ball and his experience, and it was crucial to him that Stones could demonstrate his fitness and secure his place in the squad. However, the 32-year-old played just nine Premier League games last season due to injury, his lack of fitness could seriously backfire.