Adrian Durham: Pick Marcus Rashford and without Harry Kane we’ve no chance – Here’s who I think England start with

It’s one thing making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, but who will be in his starting line-up?

The Three Lions rounded off the March internationals with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Japan.

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It was far from a vintage display by Tuchel’s side, although the line-up was partly comprised of fringe players unlikely to start when England’s World Cup campaign begins on June 17 against Croatia in front of the thousands of fans lucky enough to have bought tickets.

Tuchel will have two final chances to cast his eye over the team before the World Cup begins, with England to face New Zealand and Costa Rica on June 7 and June 11 respectively.

But there’s every chance he has a good idea of who will start and who won’t when those friendlies roll around.

So, what will Tuchel’s line-up against Croatia look like?

talkSPORT hosts Adrian Durham, Jim Proudfoot and England legend Stuart Pearce all had their say on who will start on June 17 in the latest episode of the talkSPORT Daily podcast.

Continuity at the back

We start in goal, where Jordan Pickford was a unanimous verdict.

There was also collective agreement for the starting back four.

Nico O’Reilly is expected to get the nod at left-back, with Chelsea skipper Reece James on the opposite flank.

Marc Guehi, who skippered England against Japan, is a lock among the three pundits.

Pearce, Durham and Proudfoot all expect Guehi to be partnered by Manchester City teammate John Stones.

However, Stones’ fitness issues have been a worry this season as the 31-year-old has been restricted to just 15 appearances across all competitions.

Should Stones be short of a gallop, Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa would slot straight in.

Although there may have been uniformity in Pearce, Durham and Proudfoot’s defensive selections, there was debate in the middle and attacking thirds.

Brum boys set to battle it out

The trio concurred Elliot Anderson and Ballon d’Or contender Declan Rice will fill two of the three midfield spots.

However, the selection for the coveted attacking midfielder role varied.

Durham believes Tuchel will opt for Jude Bellingham, citing a ‘big player, big moments’ mentality.

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In contrast, Pearce and Proudfoot believe the role will fall to Morgan Rogers.

However, the duo acknowledged one factor which could give Bellingham an advantage over his fellow Birmingham native.

Pearce’s ‘big concern’ over Rogers

“Pushed, I would say Rogers [starts],” Pearce said.

“But I wonder whether Rogers’ best form is behind him rather than at the end of the season.

“That is my big, big concern.”

Proudfoot pointed out Rogers has played the most minutes in his career this season, with the potential for more to come given Villa remain alive in the Europa League.

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However, Proudfoot added a tactical difference between Rogers and Bellingham that could play into the former’s hands.

“I think if they were both at the same level of fitness, he would definitely go with Rogers,” Proudfoot said.

“I think he feels Rogers and [Harry] Kane is a better partnership than Bellingham and Kane.

“When Kane drops off the way that he does, do he and Bellingham sometimes find themselves in the same positions, where Rogers maybe will push forward and make third-man runs inside the penalty area.

“I think he would go with Rogers, but that’s a coin toss.”

The trio returned to a general consensus at right wing, where Bukayo Saka is expected to get the nod.

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But the debate reignited when selecting someone to play on the left wing.

Rashford set for surprise role?

Durham believes the role should be filled by Marcus Rashford, who has been in fine form on loan at Barcelona this term.

“I just loved his pace,” Durham said.

“In these two friendlies, he’s showed what he can do. I think he was really up for it.”

Although Pearce was complementary of Rashford, he felt the 28-year-old’s best attributes are more suited to a different role.

“I think Rashford has shown himself as an outstanding impact substitute,” Pearce said.

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“To have someone like him to come on with defenders tired, I think that’s the start for me.

“(Anthony) Gordon in and Rashford coming off the bench to impact.”

Unsurprisingly, there was only one man for the striker role: Harry Kane.

With a handful of months remaining before the World Cup, there’s still time for plenty of twists and turns when it comes to England’s line-up.

But, given the overall consistency between Durham, Pearce and Proudfoot’s predicted teams, don’t be surprised to see most, if not all of the names mentioned walk out for the Three Lions against Croatia.