Overview
- England are training at their Kansas City base as they finalise preparations for their Group L opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.
- Nico O’Reilly looks likely to start at left-back and has urged the team to go “all guns blazing” in the opening game.
- O’Reilly called being at his first World Cup “unbelievable, dream come true” after earning five caps since November.
- The 22-year-old rose from a Premier League debut in January last year to play 53 times for Manchester City this season, a workload that shapes selection and fitness planning.
- Manager Thomas Tuchel has emphasised rotation, heat acclimatisation and squad cohesion as England aim to convert warm-up form into a statement performance.