England's World Cup squad hit the ground running on Saturday with their first training session at their Kansas City base, offering early clues about team selection and preparations.
Lineup Hints from Training
The 10 outfield players who started against Costa Rica—Jude Bellingham, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Nico O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, and Reece James—trained together in a separate group. While not definitive, this grouping suggests manager Thomas Tuchel may stick with a similar lineup for the opener against Croatia. However, Bukayo Saka, a potential starter, trained apart and appeared less than fully fit, raising doubts about his involvement.
Theft Downplayed
A theft incident on Friday, where equipment worth $18,000 was stolen from a vehicle, was played down by the team. Two men have been charged. Defender Dan Burn said, "It's not really been spoken about… it's not really disrupted our preparations." The FA confirmed most stolen items, including four pairs of boots and a ball, have been recovered.
Preparation Intensifies
With the Florida acclimatization phase complete, training in Kansas City focuses on group matches against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. Tuchel emphasized, "The focus is on Croatia… from tomorrow it's about three days preparation." Captain Harry Kane added, "This is where the business starts… Croatia are a difficult team, and we have to be ready."