Two Positions, Two Big Calls: Tuchel’s England Selection Headaches Continue

England’s attacking, front-foot performance in their 4-2 World Cup opening victory over Croatia in Dallas created genuine excitement — but head coach Thomas Tuchel was left with significant decisions to ponder before Tuesday’s second group match against Ghana in Boston.

The win was impressive. Jordan Pickford still needed to pull off a vital save from Igor Matanović with the score at 3-2 before the game was settled. And two specific selection calls made by Tuchel — one at the heart of the defence, one on the left flank — have already become the most debated storylines of England’s campaign.

Marc Guehi or Ezri Konsa alongside John Stones? Marcus Rashford or Anthony Gordon on the left? The two most prominent sub-plots of England’s World Cup have crystallised within 90 minutes of the tournament beginning.

The Defensive Dilemma: Guehi Left Waiting Again

Tuchel’s decision to start Konsa (Aston Villa) ahead of Guehi (Crystal Palace) raised eyebrows — but a review of his full England tenure suggests it should not have been a surprise.

Konsa has been Tuchel’s preferred partner for Stones throughout his tenure — third in both starts and minutes behind only Pickford and Kane across 15 games. Guehi has started just seven matches in that period and has played only 504 minutes.

There is also a historical context. Tuchel was in charge at Chelsea when the 25-year-old was sold to Crystal Palace in July 2021.

Against Croatia, Konsa had moments of uncertainty — he was caught out of position when Petar Musa scored Croatia’s second equaliser. But Tuchel remains a significant admirer of his physical and footballing attributes, and it was those qualities that reportedly settled his selection decision.

The Stones Question

The debate is complicated by Chris Sutton, the former England striker, who argues the real question is not Guehi for Konsa — but whether Stones should be in the team at all.

Sutton told BBC Sport: “Why is the debate Guehi for Konsa and not Stones? 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. 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 situations than John Stones and there will be times in games when they will be isolated one-against-one against players of the highest class.”

Stones, 32, started just five Premier League games last season before leaving Manchester City. Tuchel’s confidence in the experienced defender as a leader — both in terms of ball-playing ability and on-pitch authority — has been the primary factor in his continued selection.

The Counter-Argument

Paul Robinson — former England goalkeeper and BBC Radio 5 Live’s analyst at the games — pushed back on the defensive concerns, offering important context.

“The defence looked nervous at times but there is context. This is the first game of a major tournament and Croatia are ranked 11th in the world. They have troubled England before and they have medals from reaching the final and semi-final in the past two World Cups.”

“You can pick holes in it tactically at the back, but the pleasing thing for Thomas Tuchel was that it wasn’t individual errors. It was a collective unit. He can work on that in training.”

Robinson was also clear about what he sees as Tuchel’s priorities: “Six months ago it was Marc Guehi and one other, but John Stones has got the trust of the manager. He is one of his leaders on the pitch. It is a very difficult decision but three into two doesn’t go and I don’t have an issue with who Tuchel picks.”

He was equally direct about the broader squad management picture: “If England get to the World Cup final, it’s eight games in 32 days and he has got trust in his squad. It doesn’t matter — reputation, name, who you play for — he trusts every single one of his players. I think he will change the team but not for performance reasons.“

The Left Flank Dilemma: Rashford Makes His Case From the Bench

The battle on England’s left flank carries its own compelling sub-plot — one that played out not just on the Dallas pitch but across the Atlantic in Barcelona.

Anthony Gordon was given the nod to start against Croatia on the left flank, having cemented his place with a strong contribution to the 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica before the tournament — including scoring a penalty. Marcus Rashford had excelled in the New Zealand friendly but was named among the substitutes.

On the day itself, Gordon had a quiet game. When Rashford came on to replace him, the 27-year-old produced an 18-minute cameo that was anything but quiet — including scoring England’s fourth goal to settle the result.

The Barcelona Subplot

The background to this rivalry adds an extraordinary layer. Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona, where he is still waiting to find out whether they will negotiate with Manchester United to make his move permanent. Meanwhile, Barcelona paid £69.3 million to sign Gordon permanently from Newcastle United.

So two players competing for the same starting spot in England’s World Cup squad spent the season at the same club — one on loan, one purchased for nearly £70 million — with Barcelona’s investment in Gordon’s future making his Newcastle exit inevitable. Eddie Howe had already left Gordon out of his final Newcastle plans in anticipation, meaning the winger went into the tournament without significant match practice in the final stretch of the domestic season.

Sutton’s Verdict

Sutton believes the cameo showed enough to change the equation.

“On the left, I’d go for Rashford. I think Gordon’s form suffered towards the end of the season. He didn’t play much for Newcastle and he just doesn’t seem quite up to speed. This is not to say he won’t have a big part to play as the tournament goes on, but Rashford took his goal well and looked good. It’s close, but at the moment I’d go for Rashford. I think he deserves an opportunity.”

Sutton also flagged that the left-flank discussion is not the only positional consideration on England’s flanks: “It’s going to be a squad game at the World Cup. We could even have a debate about the other flank, where Noni Madueke started, with Tuchel managing Bukayo Saka’s minutes.”

The Bigger Picture: England Playing to Their Strengths

Beyond the specific selection debates, Robinson was keen to emphasise what he saw as the most significant positive from the Croatia performance.

“I liked it. This was an England team that played to their strengths for the first time in a long time, instead of defending their weaknesses.”

That assessment reflects a broader shift in approach under Tuchel — an England side willing to attack, to press, to take the initiative, rather than sitting deep and hoping to absorb pressure. The 4-2 scoreline against a team who have reached the last two World Cup semi-finals or finals represents a genuinely encouraging beginning.

But the awareness that Pickford needed to be at his best in the closing stages — and that the result was not truly safe until Rashford’s strike — means the defensively focused questions will not disappear without a more convincing clean-sheet performance.

Tuchel’s Decisions for Ghana

England’s group-stage opponent in Boston, Ghana, provides a different tactical challenge to Croatia. How Tuchel responds to that challenge — and whether the selection narrative shifts — will be defined by two specific choices.

If Tuchel does make changes, Robinson believes they will be driven by squad management and tournament planning rather than reactive crisis — a sign of confidence in depth rather than a loss of faith in individuals.

“I didn’t have any serious concerns about what I saw defensively. I think he will change the team but not for performance reasons.”

The Luxury Problem of a Deep Squad

England’s position heading into their second group match is an enviable one. They have three points, a positive goal difference, and a manager clearly willing to use his full squad rather than rely on an automatic first XI.

The Guehi question and the Rashford question are not crises. They are the dilemmas of a team with genuine depth at every position — the kind of selection headaches that strong tournament teams tend to have.

Whether Tuchel sticks with what delivered 4-2 against Croatia or makes changes to freshen the team and send a signal about his thinking for the knockout stages, his decisions against Ghana will tell us a great deal about his tournament plan.

One thing is clear: Rashford made the most of his 18 minutes. The rest of his argument will have to be made on the training ground between now and Tuesday.

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