Thomas Tuchel is not closing the door on rotation for England's game against Panama. After the 0-0 draw with Ghana in Boston, Massachusetts, he said the changes would likely be more moderate, with Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford both pushing for their first World Cup starts.

Tuchel's rotation call

Tuchel's language was fairly clear. “Yes, but I was not even sure if I'll do the full rotation. Maybe we would have. But I am not shy to still do some rotation now if we think that some players should be on the pitch but maybe it will be more moderate,” he said.

That is a sensible place to land. England need a win against Panama to secure top spot in Group L, but Tuchel does not sound like a manager planning to rip the team up for the sake of it. He has 4 points from 2 matches, with a +2 goal difference, and the game with Panama still gives him room to manage the load without turning it into a trial match.

Tuchel also defended the Ghana stalemate as a difficult tactical problem rather than a flat failure. “I know what we wanted and what we had to take care of. I know it's not crazy exciting, but it needs two to tango,” he said. He added that Ghana were “a very physical team” and that they were good.

Saka and Rashford are pressing their case

The other part of this is selection. Tuchel said Saka “seems to be more and more ready” and that the winger needs “more sessions now”, adding: “Two sessions to be ready for Panama.” Bukayo Saka has made 2 World Cup appearances in 2026 and played 47 minutes, which fits the picture of a player being eased back rather than locked into the XI.

Marcus Rashford is in a similar spot. He has also made 2 World Cup appearances and has logged just 29 minutes, so the case for his first start is obvious enough without over-stating it. Both players are being talked up by the manager, but Tuchel has stopped short of confirming either one.

England's route into the Panama vs England game is simple enough: avoid another muddled evening and leave the group in their control. The draw with Ghana has made that harder than it looked before kick-off, which is why Tuchel's moderation matters more than the idea of wholesale change.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →