Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon will operate behind Harry Kane in England‘s World Cup opener against Croatia, with Thomas Tuchel leaving Bukayo Saka and Marc Guéhi on the bench in Dallas.
Tuchel’s selection dilemmas always looked to be in attacking midfield and central defence, with Saka’s fitness a particular talking point heading into the crunch Group L clash.
The German coach has opted for caution, resting the Arsenal winger and selecting club teammate Madueke. Bellingham, despite speculation about Morgan Rogers starting, is also in the starting XI, while Gordon is in ahead of Marcus Rashford on the left.
The slight surprise comes at the back, with Ezri Konsa and John Stones selected ahead of Manchester City mainstay Guéhi — although Tuchel did hint at that choice after starting the pair in the final warmup against Costa Rica.
