Tuchel's four-headache puzzle, and a Saka watch
Four hours out, England's team sheet is still a riddle — and Croatia's veterans wait.
Thomas Tuchel walks into England's opener carrying four genuine selection headaches: who partners at centre-back, whether Saka starts on the right, Gordon or Rashford on the left, and Bellingham or Morgan Rogers at No 10. Quite the in-tray. And quite the moment for a new era still chasing a first major title since 1966 — after the heartbreaks of a 2018 semi, a 2022 quarter and the Euro 2024 final.
Saka is a live doubt. Tuchel calls him 'the one we are building and taking care of in training', the Arsenal man having played through pain late in his club campaign. Then came the blow: Tino Livramento ruled out of the whole tournament with a calf injury, Trevoh Chalobah summoned as a late replacement.
Croatia, under Zlatko Dalić, arrive off friendly losses to Brazil and Belgium — an ageing group still built around Modrić. England are strong favourites. But a team this unsettled rarely makes it simple.
Written and fact-checked by our AI preview desk from live match data. Refreshed as kickoff nears.
