England will aim to secure top spot in Group L when they face Panama on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. The Three Lions need a win to guarantee a favourable draw in the Round of 32, following a lacklustre draw with Ghana that served as a reality check after their impressive opening victory over Croatia.
Injury Concerns for Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel has several injury worries ahead of the clash. Reece James' tournament may be over unless England reach the latter stages, while Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have also been concerns. Tuchel has defended his squad selections given James' fitness history, but confirmed Bukayo Saka is ready to start after coming off the bench in the opening two matches due to a long-term Achilles tendinitis complaint.
Previous World Cup Meeting
England met Panama at the World Cup eight years ago in Russia, winning 6-1 with a hat-trick from Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich star will look to repeat that performance to keep himself in contention for the Golden Boot.
Fan Support and Economic Impact
England will have their biggest army of supporters yet in the US, with more than 10,000 fans flying in from the UK. The MetLife Stadium, with a capacity of 78,576, means over 30,000 fans are likely to be in England shirts. The match is set to deliver a Super Saturday surge in sales, with an estimated 13.3 million viewers tuning in. According to VoucherCodes.co.uk, the match will generate a £425 million jump in sales in pubs and retailers, with pubs preparing to serve an extra 4.5 million pints despite the 10pm kick-off.
Group L Standings
England face Panama at 10pm BST, while Croatia take on Ghana in the other Group L clash. A win for England would see them top the group and avoid a potentially tougher opponent in the knockout stages.
