England’s team news for their World Cup opener against Croatia has reportedly been leaked four days before kick-off in Texas. The World Cup got underway this week, with all three host nations having played their opening fixture.

It began in a fervent Azteca Stadium where Mexico beat South Africa 2-0, with Canada salvaging a 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina, while the United States served up the performance of the tournament so far. Mauricio Pochettino’s side stuck four past Paraguay during their opener, sending a statement to the rest of the tournament that the USMNT aren’t here to mess around.

Saturday will see the first outings for nations like Brazil, Morocco and Scotland, as the tournament’s big boys slowly but surely get their first taste of World Cup action. For England, the wait is a long one, as the Three Lions are among the final teams to play their first match, with Thomas Tuchel and co. having to wait until Wednesday.

It’s a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, where England succumbed to Croatia in extra time. Since then, they’ve met in the Nations League and the European Championship, with England unbeaten in their three meetings since.

Given the new format changes, a win on Wednesday would effectively seal England’s spot in the last-32, and ahead of the game, news surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s team selection has been leaked. As per BBC Sport, it’s reported Ezri Konsa and John Stones are expected to be the centre-back partnership, with Marc Guehi set to start on the bench.

Guehi was favoured ahead of Manchester City team-mate Stones during the final months of the season following his move to the Etihad Stadium. However, Stones’ campaign was blighted by injury, with it appearing Tuchel will favour the experienced England international.

Elsewhere, Jude Bellingham is likely to be given the nod ahead of Aston Villa ace Morgan Rogers in the attacking midfield position. It was a point of contention for Tuchel heading into the tournament, with Cole Palmer and Phil Foden having been left at home.

A decision will have to be made on the right-hand side of attack, given Bukayo Saka’s fitness is believed to be uncertain. Noni Madueke started on the right-hand side of the attack for England during their final warm-up match against Costa Rica, but the Arsenal man flattered to deceive.