Predicting England’s starting XI at the World Cup as Thomas Tuchel faces key decisions in attack | OneFootball

From new faces to old sages, Thomas Tuchel has cast his eye over a majority of the candidates for inclusion in his England World Cup squad in the past week.

Several fringe players failed to impress during the disappointing 1-1 draw against Uruguay on Friday night, while plenty of new faces returned against Japan on Tuesday evening.

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Thomas Tuchel has plenty to ponder ahead of the World Cup (Getty)

Several spots look set in stone but, with 77 days to go before they open their World Cup campaign against Croatia, a number of questions remain – particularly around who supports Harry Kane.

Here The Independent writers select their starting XIs to kick off the quest for glory.

Lawrence Ostlere

England’s underwhelming March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan could have given Tuchel some selection headaches, but if anything those performances will have solidified the starting XI in his mind.

The main variable now is injuries, and Tuchel admitted he will be stressed watching Premier League and Champions League games until the rest of the season as he prays for a fully fit squad to take to North America this summer.

Harry Kane’s knock is thought to be minor. Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are expected to return quickly too. John Stones and Reece James are more problematic, given their past history, but let’s assume both are fully fit for the first game against Croatia.

The main selection dilemmas are whether to start Nico O’Reilly or Lewis Hall at left-back; whether to go with Bellingham or a different No 10, such as Morgan Rogers, who was a favourite of Tuchel’s in qualifying; and whether to start Marcus Rashford or Anthony Gordon on the left wing.

I would choose Hall for his dogged defending, but Tuchel prefers O’Reilly. I suspect Bellingham gets the nod at No 10, despite his imperfect relationship with the manager. And Gordon’s 22 goal contributions this season mark him out as one of few England players in form at club level.

Predicted XI: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

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Nico O’Reilly appears to be a Tuchel favourite (AFP via Getty Images)

Will Castle

Tuchel used his final two friendlies before World Cup selection to experiment; after a draw and a loss, it’s safe to say there weren’t any mind-blowing revelations to speak of. We can therefore expect Tuchel not to throw out any curveballs and select what has been his preferred XI for the majority of his reign.

Half of this team – the likes of Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi, Rice, Saka and captain Harry Kane – are obviously shoo-ins. Elliot Anderson and even Gordon can probably be added to that list, with the latter looking set to hold off competition from Rashford and Phil Foden to start on the left.

James will surely be his starting right-back if fit, and while the same would usually said for Stones at centre-back, the difference in activity this term could prove key. James has played 36 times league this season – his highest tally since 2021/22 – while Stones has made just 15 outings, only seven of those in the league. That’s why I think Tuchel will stick with Ezri Konsa at the back, who has become a regular starter since the German took the reins.

Then comes the two decisions I don’t necessarily agree with but will probably transpire anyway. It seems O’Reilly is Tuchel’s preferred left-back, a more attacking-minded full-back who is dangerous going forward but can be defensively questionable at times. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been iced out from the squad entirely with this profile.

And at the 10, Rogers looks nailed on to start ahead of Bellingham. The Real Madrid man is among the best on the planet on his day but Tuchel’s regular selection of Rogers – who is quality but maybe not world class – has made his preference clear. Don’t expect this to change against Croatia.

Predicted XI: Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Rogers, Gordon; Kane.

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Saka has played a lot of football for club and country this season (PA Wire)

Kieran Jackson

Most of this team was already set in stone – and this month’s underwhelming but ultimately insignificant friendlies have only served to strengthen the case of those absent.

Tuchel will be keeping a close eye on James’ fitness, fingers crossed on both hands. Tino Livramento would be next in line to deputise at right-back, in what would be his first taste of major tournament football. Guehi seems a shoo-in at centre back and, come June, Tuchel may just opt for the experience of Stones, a member of the team who lost to Croatia in the 2018 semi-finals, over Konsa.

Left-back is somewhat up for grabs. O’Reilly’s big-game experience at Man City – as well as his knack for scoring important goals – sees him a step ahead of Hall. The two central midfield berths are solidified in Anderson and Rice while, obviously, Kane will start up front if fit.

That leaves the three remaining attacking midfield spots. Barring an injury, Saka will surely start on the right. It is a 50/50 choice between Gordon and Rashford on the left. Personally, Gordon’s lack of discipline in big-match scenarios worries me. At least for Croatia, Rashford deserves a starting spot.

Finally, the No 10: Tuesday night was a bad night for Cole Palmer, who cheaply lost possession before Japan’s goal. However, despite all the noise surrounding Tuchel’s topsy-turvy relationship with Bellingham, I believe that the Real Madrid midfielder’s tendency to rise to the biggest of occasions will win out over the recent preference for Rogers.

Predicted XI: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rice, Anderson; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane

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Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers are vying for the No 10 role (The FA via Getty Images)

Luke Baker

I know the consensus is that most of Tuchel’s starting XI is set in stone but I wonder if the insipid performances during this international window may just give him slight pause, especially if they’re combined with further underwhelming displays in the pre-tournament friendlies.

I wouldn’t be as quick as my colleagues to rule out the possibility of Bellingham starting, especially as Rogers’s form has just dropped off slightly and the temptation to have a genuinely world-class player in the No 10 role may prove too strong. I won’t rehash the arguments that have been laid out above but in the either/or positions, I think Tuchel will go for Rashford over Gordon on the left, Hall over O’Reilly at left-back – with the Man City man as a valuable swiss army knife off the bench – and Konsa ahead of the unreliable fitness of Stones in the heart of defence.

My one outlandish pick is Livramento to start at right-back. This will, of course, be James if he is fit but I’ll predict an injury for the Chelsea man before we reach the Croatia game.

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Could Tino Livramento be a shock starter? (Action Images via Reuters)

Alan Smith

There is always a late injury that rules out a definite starter but, assuming everyone is fit and firing, much of the starting XI seems to pick itself. The spine of the team looks obvious; out wide it seems anything but.

If he can avoid another spell on the sidelines, James is the outstanding candidate at right back, while O’Reilly should get the nod instead of Luke Shaw on the left.

Who is chosen to ease the goalscoring burden on Kane is the biggest question and the answers could change several times over the next two months. Rogers was the most used attacking midfielder in qualifying so will justifiably expect to be the first-choice No 10 instead of Bellingham. Saka has not been at his dazzling best and could need a rest but will start on the right, while Gordon’s form at Newcastle, despite their disappointing season, means he is presently the most likely to appear on the left.