Thomas Tuchel is looking to ‘test a concept’ in England’s clash with Costa Rica on Wednesday night, playing four players who have not started together under his management.
The Three Lions play their final warm-up match before their World Cup campaign gets underway next Wednesday against Croatia.
The match in Orlando is a great chance for players to make a final push into Tuchel’s thoughts ahead of that huge clash with Croatia and the next two group games against Ghana and Panama.
The boss has named a very strong side against Costa Rica, with Jordan Pickford in goal behind a back four of Reece James, Ezri Konsa, John Stones and Nico O’Reilly.
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Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are in midfield behind Jude Bellingham, with a front three of Noni Madueke, Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon.
There is plenty of debate over whether it is Bellingham or Morgan Rogers who will start in the no10 position against Croatia, with the Real Madrid man getting the chance to shine from the start on Wednesday.
Asked if that was a suggestion Bellingham is winning the race to start next week, Tuchel pointed out that he has not started the former Dortmund superstar alongside mainstays Rice, Anderson and Kane.
The German said it is a ‘concept’ he wants to see, suggesting it could be the line-up when the tournament gets underway.
‘I think it’s the first time he plays with Harry, Declan and Elliot together, so it’s a good test of concept, we want to see that,’ Tuchel told ITV of Bellingham.
‘And we’ve said it many times, he’s in excellent shape, everyone else is in excellent shape. We have a strong line-up and a strong bench.’
Tuchel was not quite suggesting that this would be the starting XI against Croatia, but said it was a team that could compete in any match.
‘Yeah, we can start any match, it’s a very strong line-up and we have very strong players from the bench,’ he said. ‘And we need it, we want to take the next step and push the boundaries a bit after the ten days and end the prep camp in a good way.’
On the aims of the game against Costa Rica, he said: ‘It’s about stepping up intensity, off the ball and with the ball, and see what we are able to produce.
‘We can see that we have progress, we make progress in training, we make progress when we check the blood and the sweat of the players, so acclimatisation is there, we’re getting fitter and fitter, and now it’s on the team to show and to have a good performance.’
Bukayo Saka was not in the starting XI as he is being managed back from a nagging Achilles injury, which leaves Madueke with the chance to impress on the right.
One surprise in Tuchel’s selection is Stones and Konsa in central defence, with Marc Guehi deemed more likely to start alongside one of them against Croatia.
The England manager was not worried about picking his captain ahead of the tournament getting underway, saying of starting Kane: ‘He would be very upset with me if I would bring this up.
‘He’s determined and why wouldn’t he? It’s the best for him to have his 60 minutes today, and then he’s ready to start against Croatia.’