Should England make changes against Ghana? We asked six Athletic writers

Thomas Tuchel with the hood of his top covering the top of his head points during a training session.

Could Thomas Tuchel make changes for the Ghana game? Richard Pelham/Getty Images

By Jack Pitt-Brooke, Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, Amelie Claydon, Eduardo Tansley, Mark Carey and Greg O'KeeffeJune 22, 2026 Updated June 23, 2026 11:43 am EDT

The Athletic has live coverage of England vs Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

England may have been one of the last teams to begin their World Cup campaign but it was worth the wait.

The 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday was one of the most entertaining games of the tournament and showcased the kind of intensity and positivity which England have only rarely shown in major tournaments in recent years, even if there were defensive deficiencies.

Now, with qualification for the last 32 almost guaranteed, Thomas Tuchel is preparing to face Ghana in Foxboro tomorrow. So should he stick with a winning formula or change things up? Six Athletic experts name their XIs.

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Jack Pitt-Brooke

Why change a winning team? England got off to the best possible start against Croatia in Dallas. There is no reason at this point to change any of that.

If they beat Ghana on Tuesday then the only way they cannot win Group L is if Panama beat Croatia in Toronto on Tuesday (unlikely) and then beat England in New Jersey next Saturday. So it makes sense to go all-out this time and then rotate for the third game.

I would stick with Noni Madueke, while Bukayo Saka has time to get fully fit (he was not even in full training with England on Saturday). Stick with Anthony Gordon, using Marcus Rashford as a ‘finisher’ from the bench. Even stick with Declan Rice, for now, although he did not look at 100 per cent in Dallas.

You could make a case for Marc Guehi over Ezri Konsa, but if Konsa is the first choice then he might as well get game-time. Win this game, hopefully win Group L and then give chances to Guehi, Rashford, Saka, Morgan Rogers and whoever else in the third game against Panama.

Amelie Claydon

England do not need a reshuffle, but they do need to protect themselves against Ghana’s clearest route into the game — winning the ball and breaking into the space behind Tuchel’s full-backs.

Their late winner against Panama came on the break and England left enough space behind them against Croatia to make Guehi the sensible choice alongside John Stones. Guehi offers more recovery pace than Konsa, while Stones remains the defender best equipped to help England play through a low block.

Rashford should be the other change despite Gordon’s solid performance against Croatia, given he altered the game from the bench. With Saka still being managed, starting Rashford on the left would preserve Madueke’s role on the right and give England another direct runner.

Rice should continue alongside Elliot Anderson if — as expected — he is fit. Harry Kane should also start after scoring twice against Croatia. Neither needs to complete the match if England establish control with Rice managing back and hamstring discomfort and Kane still dealing with a calf issue.

Greg O’Keeffe

Tuchel won’t want to risk diminishing the momentum from the Croatia win, but he might consider a few changes from the start against Ghana.

If Kane and Rice are carrying niggles, there is enough strength in depth to rest them and manage their minutes later in the game if necessary. In comes Ollie Watkins to lead the line, and Kobbie Mainoo in place of the Arsenal man.

I’d be tempted to give Rashford a start ahead of Gordon, and there’s a case for asking whether Guehi, unlucky to miss out against Croatia, would benefit from more game time too. Stones would be the more obvious candidate for a rest.

Eduardo Tansley

England’s performance against Croatia put to bed any doubts about Tuchel’s selection. The attacking players thrived, and many of the starting XI impressed.

But anything other than a win against Ghana would halt the feel-good factor, so there should be minimal changes. Ghana were sloppy in their late win over Panama but still pose a threat, including Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo, and shouldn’t be underestimated.

If England beat Ghana, they are highly likely to win the group and can look to rest players against Panama.

Some personnel changes, though, wouldn’t concern many fans, such as Rashford in for Gordon, or Guehi in for either Stones or Konsa. Saka coming in for Madueke seems inevitable at some point, but Madueke was one of England’s best players against Croatia and Saka is not at full fitness.

Mark Carey

Keeping momentum is important in major international football, so there would be no reason to make any changes based on the performance of England’s opening game.

However, Tuchel will be aware of managing the squad through the tournament, meaning a couple of tweaks are likely to help keep things fresh. Bringing Rashford in from the start would be a good option to allow him to pick up where he left off against Croatia. Giving him 60 minutes against Ghana would essentially allow him to have a full 90 minutes spread across two games.

Given his injury niggle, it makes sense to manage Saka’s minutes — so you would expect to see a similar pattern of Madueke starting again before making way for his Arsenal team-mate on the hour mark.

Djed Spence did not harm his chances at all when he came on in the second half of the Croatia game, offering runs ahead of the ball that can cause problems to any opponent. For now though, it would be best to stick with Reece James to provide greater control during build-up.

A similar performance is required, so a similar line-up is named. It really can be that simple sometimes.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

I wouldn’t mess about too much, because while Ghana have suffered through some dysfunction prior to the tournament and have been unsettled by the coaching change, they still have enough talent to command respect. England were good against Croatia, but they were hardly invulnerable; keep the back-four and the midfield together to build some chemistry and security.

Maybe some rotation at the top of the pitch, though? A lot of what England did well depended on the intensity of their press and they’re going to need waspish intensity to advance through this tournament. So, Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke rotated out, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka in if fit. Let’s give Morgan Rogers a game, too, and let Jude Bellingham start from the bench after his excellent performance in the first game.