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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Dom Smith

England XI vs Ghana: Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for World Cup 2026

Thomas Tuchel has decided to twist rather than stick as England take on Ghana in their second World Cup group game.

Having beaten Croatia 4-2 in an impressive Group L opener in Dallas, the Three Lions will aim to make it two wins from two when they head to Boston on Tuesday.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ENGLAND VS GHANA LIVE!

Tuchel admitted there was healthy competition to start on both wings, after Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford came off the bench to combine for the fourth goal against Croatia, having replaced Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke.

But he will stick with Gordon and Madueke against a Ghana side who also won their Group L opener, beating Panama 1-0 in Toronto thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi’s last-gasp goal.

All members of Tuchel’s 26-man squad trained in full on Monday in Kansas City before flying to Boston.

There was some concern about captain Harry Kane and key midfielder Declan Rice after the Croatia game, but both have since allayed fears and are expected to be fit.

Kane had been pictured wearing strapping on his left leg, but that was just for cramp.

Rice asked to come off after feeling pain but Standard Sport understands it was nothing serious and he is set to be involved against Ghana.

Panic over: Harry Kane and Declan Rice will be ready to start for England against Ghana at the World Cup (Getty)
Panic over: Harry Kane and Declan Rice will be ready to start for England against Ghana at the World Cup (Getty)

Jude Bellingham keeps his place over Morgan Rogers again at No10.

In central defence, Tuchel had been under pressure from many England fans to drop John Stones in favour of Marc Guehi, and he has done so, with the Manchester City man partnering Ezri Konsa.

Djed Spence has also been drafted in in place of Nico O’Reilly.

Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Djed Spence joined all those who did not make an appearance in England’s opening game as they faced MLS side Sporting Kansas City in a behind-closed-doors training match at England’s Swope Soccer Village base on Thursday.

England ran out 5-1 winners in a match played across two lots of 25-minute halves. Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick, with Ollie Watkins and Rogers also on the scoresheet.

Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah was present during the training game but did not feature, having flown in as the replacement for Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, who dropped out of the squad with a calf injury. He has been in training since.

England XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Time and date: 9pm BST on Tuesday June 23, 2026

Venue: Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts

How to watch: BBC

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