Everything you need to know about England's starting line-up for their World Cup curtain-raiser against Croatia. Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa is expected to start for England in their opening World Cup game against Croatia.
Expected Defence
Konsa and John Stones are expected to begin the tournament as the preferred centre-back partnership, with Marc Guehi being left out despite having been a regular starter for much of the past two years, including at Euro 2024. Both Stones and Konsa enjoy strong backing from manager Thomas Tuchel. The manager regards Konsa as his top choice at centre-back and holds his pace and tenacity in high regard, while Konsa arrives at the tournament brimming with confidence following an outstanding campaign at Aston Villa. Tuchel places great importance on Stones' distribution skills and vast experience, making it crucial that Stones could demonstrate his fitness and secure his place in the squad.
Midfield and Attack
Despite suggestions otherwise, Jude Bellingham seems nailed on to start at No. 10 ahead of Morgan Rogers. The Real Madrid star has arrived at camp revitalised following a challenging campaign at Real Madrid that included injury setbacks, but he appears in peak condition and represents the Three Lions' best hope for World Cup glory alongside skipper Harry Kane.
Selection Secrecy
Thomas Tuchel has kept his England players guessing about his starting XI for Wednesday's World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas. The Three Lions may only find out who's in the team on match morning, with Tuchel notorious for revealing his selection 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 crucial positions have been up for debate ahead of the opening fixture: Left wing, right wing, centre-back and No. 10.
Fitness Updates
Bukayo Saka is poised for his 50th cap despite battling Achilles tendinitis and said he was "ready to gamble" on his fitness. He won't feature in every match from start to finish due to the issue, which requires careful management. Anthony Gordon appears to have overtaken Marcus Rashford on the left flank after shining in training sessions and against Costa Rica in the final warm-up match before the tournament.
