England got their 2026 World Cup campaign off to a winning start when overcoming Croatia 4-2 in Dallas last Wednesday.
The narrative that England couldn't entertain was swiftly put to bed when Thomas Tuchel's side entered half time with the score tied at 2-2 against Croatia, and -- while there were plenty of positives to take from the opening 45 minutes -- the second half was where the Three Lions really came into their own.
Jude Bellingham regained England's lead less than two minutes into the second half with a composed effort into the bottom-right corner, while super-sub Marcus Rashford was on hand to double his nation's advantage in the 85th minute of the game.
Croatia were viewed by many as England's toughest opponent in the group stage, but Tuchel's men passed the test with flying colours and are now just three points away from joining Mexico, USA, Germany, Argentina, France and Norway in the World Cup round of 32.
While England's performance against Croatia would suggest that there's no need to change, England are overwhelming favourites to overcome both Ghana and Panama, so Tuchel may have one eye on the knockout stages.
Chelsea right-back Reece James is renowned for his injury struggles, and -- while he completed 90 minutes in Dallas -- Tuchel may be cautious of overworking the 26-year-old. This could see Djed Spence -- who impressed off the bench against Croatia -- partner Nico O'Reilly in the full-back positions.
John Stones played just 439 Premier League minutes in his final campaign with Manchester City, and so there was an element of surprise when Tuchel preferred the 32-year-old to Marc Guehi -- who played 53 games in all competitions for Crystal Palace and the Citizens in 2025/26.
Similarly to James however, there's an expectation that Stones' minutes will need managing over the course of the tournament and so Guehi could partner Konsa at the heart of defence.
Declan Rice was replaced in the 72nd minute of England's World Cup opener as a precaution -- having since admitted his struggles with hamstring pain since late 2025 -- but he's avoided any serious issues and is expected to partner Elliot Anderson against Ghana.
A change in attack could see Matchweek One goalscorer Marcus Rashford return to the team in place of Anthony Gordon, while Tuchel is in no rush to force Bukayo Saka back into the side and could deploy Noni Madueke on the right flank once again.
Predicted England XI to face Ghana
Jordan Pickford, Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Noni Maudeke, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane.
Check out the latest England odds on bet365.
