NEW YORK, June 22 (Xinhua) -- England will look to maintain the positive momentum generated by its opening World Cup victory when it faces Ghana in Group L action on Tuesday.
England's 4-2 win over Croatia provided the start Thomas Tuchel's side had been seeking after a series of underwhelming performances in the buildup to the tournament. The challenge now is to reproduce that level against another difficult opponent.
Tuchel said after last week's victory that midfielder Declan Rice had been dealing with lower back pain, but he is expected to be fit to partner Elliot Anderson in central midfield.
The England coach appears to have only two significant selection decisions to make. Marcus Rashford boosted his chances of a starting role after scoring late against Croatia, although Anthony Gordon is still favored to retain his place on the left wing.
England showed occasional defensive vulnerability in its opening match and Tuchel could consider bringing Marc Guehi into the back four, with either John Stones or Ezri Konsa making way.
There is a strong argument for including Guehi, but Tuchel values Konsa's physical presence, while Stones offers composure in possession. Although an injury-disrupted season has limited Stones' playing time, regular minutes are the only way for him to regain match sharpness.
One of the key individual battles could come on England's left flank, where left back Nico O'Reilly is expected to face his Manchester City teammate Antoine Semenyo. The need to provide defensive support for O'Reilly could further strengthen Gordon's case to start.
Elsewhere, Bukayo Saka has been following an individual training program to manage an Achilles issue and is again expected to begin on the bench. Noni Madueke is set to start on the right wing, while Harry Kane will lead the attack. ■
