Former England voices are pressing Thomas Tuchel to change his left side for Panama, with Anthony Gordon under the sharpest pressure and Morgan Rogers being backed for the role. England are on four points after two matches and need to beat Panama to guarantee top spot, so this is not just a rotation exercise. The argument from the pundit side is that the current shape has left room for a tweak.

The left-side case for Rogers

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Sam Allardyce both pushed Rogers on the left, and Hasselbaink also named [Djed Spence](player:dj ed-spence) at right-back in his Panama lineup. Allardyce went harder, saying Gordon and Noni Madueke had been below par and arguing for a 4-1-4-1 that would give England more stability and more options in attack.

He did not hide where he would go with it. "I would play Rogers on the left," Hasselbaink said, while Allardyce said he would "drop them for the Panama match" and would not move Harry Kane out of the side.

The selection case is not built on one opinion alone. England drew 0-0 with Ghana in their last group match, and that has sharpened the view that the wide areas need a different look. Darren Bent also pointed to the bench options available, with Marcus Rashford among the names available if Tuchel wants another left-sided route.

Saka is close, but not settled

Tuchel has also made it clear that Bukayo Saka is moving toward a start. He said Saka needs two more training sessions to be ready for Panama after getting minutes under his belt against Ghana.

That gives England another option on the flank, but it does not settle the wider question. Saka has already made two appearances, but he has played only 47 minutes so far, so Tuchel still has to decide whether this is the moment to bring him in from the start or keep managing his load.

Kane’s place feels much less complicated. He has two goals in two appearances, and both Hasselbaink and Allardyce were explicit that they would keep him in the side. The real argument is around the players feeding him, and at the moment Gordon looks the most vulnerable name in that debate.

Panama vs England is next, and Tuchel will have to decide whether the left side stays as it is or shifts toward Rogers, with Saka waiting in the wings.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →