England beat Croatia 4-2 in Dallas in their World Cup opener, but the victory left head coach Thomas Tuchel with decisions to make before the team faces Ghana on Tuesday in Boston.
According to BBC Sport, Tuchel's side looked vulnerable defensively after he selected Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa over Manchester City's Marc Guehi to partner John Stones in central defense. The choice raised eyebrows, and Konsa had moments of uncertainty during the match, getting caught out of position when Petar Musa scored Croatia's second equaliser.
In attack, substitute Marcus Rashford scored England's fourth goal after replacing Anthony Gordon, who had started on the left flank. Gordon was described as a new Barcelona buy in reports on the match. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also had to make a vital save from Igor Matanovic with the score at 3-2 before Rashford settled nerves late.
The two biggest questions heading into the Ghana match center on the same positions: central defense and the left side of the attack.
A look at Tuchel's team selections since he succeeded Sir Gareth Southgate shows Konsa has been a consistent starter. Of England's 15 games under Tuchel, Konsa has started 10, third behind Pickford and Harry Kane, who have both started 12. Konsa is also third in minutes played with 933. Guehi has started only seven games under Tuchel and has played just 504 minutes. It is also worth noting that Tuchel was in charge at Chelsea when Guehi, now 25, was sold to Crystal Palace in July 2021.
Tuchel's confidence in 32-year-old Stones complicates the picture further. Stones only started five Premier League games last season before leaving Manchester City, but Tuchel continues to trust him. That makes the central defense debate essentially a straight choice between Konsa and Guehi for the spot alongside Stones.
Former England striker Chris Sutton has a different view. He told BBC Sport that the debate should not be Guehi versus Konsa at all. "Why is the debate Guehi for Konsa and not Stones?" Sutton said. "I'd have Guehi and Konsa because they are the best defenders. Don't get me wrong, John Stones has been a great player and I have huge respect for his career, but you are talking about a guy who doesn't even have a club for next season yet. I don't think Stones has the athleticism which the other two possess. It's nothing against John, who has been a brilliant player. He's got more composure on the ball, which he's always had, but once England get out of the group, which they will, you will need your best defenders when you're playing against the best attackers. I think Konsa and Guehi have better attributes in terms of one-against-one situatio"
England's group stage continues with the Ghana match on Tuesday. The 2026 World Cup spans 104 matches across 38 days in 16 host cities across three countries, according to CBS Sports. The 48-team tournament includes co-hosts the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
