LONDON (UK) – Striker Marcus Rashford has been left on the bench for his team’s Group D opener against Croatia at Wembley Stadium. England manager Gareth Southgate announced the same. Rashford’s Manchester United team mate Luke Shaw was also omitted, with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker named as the two full-backs.
Tyrone Mings was picked to partner John Stones in the centre of the English defence in the absence of the injured Harry Maguire.
Raheem Sterling, whose selection was uncertain after a disappointing run of form for Manchester City, started in attack alongside captain Harry Kane.
For Croatia, winger Ante Rebic starts as a ‘false nine’ at the expense of striker Bruno Petkovic in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Andrej Kramaric and Ivan Perisic on either flank.
Captain Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic are deployed in the middle with Marcelo Brozovic in a holding position.
At the back, Josko Gvardiol, who made his debut in last Sunday’s 1-0 friendly defeat at Belgium, gets the nod in the left-back slot ahead of Glasgow Rangers’ Borna Barisic.
Duje Caleta-Car partners Domagoj Vida in the centre of defence as Dejan Lovren has still not recovered from a knee ligament injury he picked up in the build-up to the tournament.
Teams:
England: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Tyrone Mings, Kieran Trippier; Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Mason Mount, Phil Foden; Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane (captain)
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic; Sime Vrsaljko, Duje Caleta-Car, Domagoj Vida, Josko Gvardiol; Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric (captain), Marcelo Brozovic; Andrej Kramaric, Ante Rebic.
