How to fill the Saka void, the star whose pace can hurt Croatia and should Rogers beat Bellingham in the battle for No 10? Our experts reveal their England starting XIs to win World Cup opener - and only two of them agree... do you?
England begin their bid to finally end 60 years of hurt in Dallas on Wednesday evening against Croatia.Thomas Tuchel's first tournament starting lineup as Three Lions head coach will have been months in the making, with crucial battles for positions all over the pitch. Will Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers be his No 10? Should Noni Madueke start over a not fully fit Bukayo Saka? Who should be the first-choice centre backs? And will Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford be flying down the left wing?So who would you pick to beat Croatia and get this World Cup off to a flier? We've asked our team of experts out in the States covering the tournament to pick their best XIs, and then explain the big calls.Once you've analysed their selections, you can vote for your own XI here using our interactive tool.Oliver HoltChief Sports Writer I'd always pick a fully-fit Saka but he's had a long season and Tuchel says he's worried about managing his injury issue so I'd have him on the bench and let him grow into the tournament. I'd put Madueke there instead. He's an able deputy. Bellingham's an obvious call at number 10. You can't leave a player of his quality out. Rashford over Gordon? He's done enough over his season at Barcelona and in the warm-up game in Tampa to warrant a start here. Ian LadymanFootball Editor For me there are only three decisions to make. Who plays at centre half? Who plays at No 10? And who plays on the left of Kane?John Stones is the unlucky loser in the centre half debate – he hasn’t played enough Premier League football – while Bellingham gets in to the team ahead of Rogers simply because he is the best player we have. He has done his time on the naughty step and now it’s time to see if he has learned from it.Rashford gets in ahead of Gordon and that was a coin toss really. I just like his record as an England player.England have a strong bench with players on it who can change games. They are well set.Craig HopeChief Football Reporter If Bukayo Saka is struggling for fitness, he cannot start. The obvious pick is Noni Madueke, and that will likely be the case, but I would go with Marcus Rashford.He has played from the right for Barcelona and looked electric during the first warm-up match in Tampa. He has a point to prove with his permanent Barca move set to fall through. Anthony Gordon and Rashford on the wings is England's best bet, for me.At No 10, whenever Jude Bellingham is available, he has to play. Jack GaughanEngland Reporter Obviously Saka would ordinarily have the right-hand side sewn up but England are having to manage his fitness with the achilles tendinitis.Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford is really a flip of a coin at this stage and whoever doesn’t start is likely to be Tuchel's first change anyway, while Marc Guehi has enough credit in the bank at centre half to be giving the nod to start the tournament, in my view.The rest? Picks itself. Mike KeeganChief Sports Reporter This team has bags of pace out wide to hit an ageing Croatia side in a flash on the break.There have been concerns surrounding the fitness of Bukayo Saka - but the Arsenal winger has managed to play through that pain during the title run-in and I see no reason why he can't continue to do so in Dallas.The big questions marks, for me, remain at the back. John Stones has hardly kicked a ball for Man City this season - and it feels like a risk throwing him in at the deep end.Ian HerbertDeputy Chief Sports Writer Gordon might seem Tuchel’s preferred pick but Rashford brings the capacity to change the game in a single burst of pace and power, which is far more valuable in a tough opener than Gordon’s pressing and general industry.Croatia's defence is not that mobile, so Rashford is more likely to force them deeper with his pace, opening up space for Bellingham and Kane. For me, he was a better performer than Gordon against New Zealand in the warm-up.Anderson is key, allowing Rice to sit deeper and Bellingham to operate closer to Kane. Unlike Henderson, Anderson brings legs. Unlike Mainoo, he brings a more aggressive off-the-ball game. He’ll make England’s midfield less passive. Riath Al-SamarraiChief Sports Feature Writer The only real question for me is who replaces Saka, assuming he isn’t fit.On the basis of what we’ve seen and heard, he isn’t quite there, so would it be Rogers out of position or Madueke in his favoured spot? I’ve gone with Madueke.I’d also bring Guehi in for Konsa on the left of the centre-back pairing – I’m yet to be fully convinced on that one but he has the prebuilt synergy with O’Reilly, which helps.
