England face Costa Rica as Saka's fitness hangs in the balance

Final warm-up: Costa Rica tonight

England play Costa Rica on Tuesday in the last friendly before the World Cup kicks off. It is the final chance for Tuchel to fine-tune his side, with Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck all expected to feature (6). Kane has already made his feelings clear, calling this tournament "the best opportunity I'll have maybe in my whole career to win the World Cup" (5). The England captain is in peak form after a prolific season, but Tuchel has been playing down expectations, insisting England are not among the favourites, though the squad is "dreaming big" (10).

Saka managing achilles issue

Bukayo Saka is playing through an achilles problem ahead of the World Cup, with Tuchel admitting the medical staff are "taking care" of the Arsenal winger (1) (2). It is a concern for fans who know how vital Saka is to England's attack. Tuchel has not ruled him out of any matches, but the situation will be monitored closely through the group stage.

Kane pushes back on over-reliance talk

Harry Kane has dismissed criticism that England depend too heavily on his goals. "Any top striker in the team, there's going to be a reliance on them," he told ITV Sport (7). The numbers back him up, Kane is in scorching form, but as Jacob Steinberg points out, England will need others to chip in if they are to go deep (3). The goalscoring burden cannot fall on one man alone.

Gordon's Barcelona move gets Henry's approval

Thierry Henry has backed Anthony Gordon's €80m switch from Newcastle to Barcelona, calling it "a great move" for the England winger (8). Henry told Betway: "He can stretch a team because he runs in behind, and he has an eye for a goal." Gordon can play across the front line, and his deadline-day transfer puts him in the shop window just as the World Cup begins. The competition with Marcus Rashford for a starting spot is fierce, and Rooney, Walcott and Defoe have all had their say on BBC Sport, with Rooney calling Rashford "a dead cert" for the wide role (4).

Lionesses forced into playoffs despite 3–0 win

England women beat Ukraine 3–0 in their final qualifier, but Spain's victory over Iceland on the same night meant Sarina Wiegman's side finished second in the group and missed out on automatic qualification (9) (10) (11). Wiegman described it as "the toughest group," and the Lionesses now face the uncertainty of the playoff route to reach the Women's World Cup.