England vs Croatia: Tuchel Faces Key Selection Calls for World Cup Opener

Thomas Tuchel is making final decisions on who to name in his starting lineup for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia. The Three Lions begin their Group L campaign against familiar opponents at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday.

Key Selection Battles

Tuchel said last week that he has “14 or 15 starters”, which leaves him with a few positions that are closely contested and where he must make a big call. Among them is at No10, where Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are fighting for the same spot.

The team Tuchel selected to start last Wednesday’s 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica in Orlando is expected to be close to the one picked for the tournament opener a week on, and that would indicate it will be Bellingham over Rogers. Tuchel became fond of Rogers as his No10 during qualifying but the thought of leaving a player of the pedigree of Real Madrid’s Bellingham on the bench has left many England fans of the belief that the German will pick the latter.

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Left Wing and Defence Decisions

Another position still facing a contest between two individuals is left wing, where Barcelona loanee Marcus Rashford faces competition from Anthony Gordon, who left Newcastle this summer to move to the Camp Nou. It remains to be seen if Barca will make the Manchester United forward’s own deal permanent, which provides an extra subplot to a closely-run race to start for England.

The centre-back position is not nailed down yet either, with Marc Guehi, John Stones and Ezri Konsa fighting for two places. While many expect Guehi to be one of the pair who start, it was Konsa and Stones who began the Costa Rica game in another potential indication of Tuchel’s thinking for Croatia.

Impact from the Bench

Those who do not start can still have a major impact in England’s crucial opener, with up to five substitutes allowed and Tuchel known to be a big believer in “finishers” off the bench.