Shearer drops Saka from England XI as Stones opens up

Shearer names his England XI for Croatia, no Saka

Alan Shearer has picked his England line-up for Wednesday's World Cup opener against Croatia (1). Bukayo Saka does not make the cut. The pundit's selection gives you a real indication of where Tuchel's head might be at, with the Achilles tendonitis doubt hanging over Arsenal's winger.

Stones: from retirement thoughts to World Cup joy

John Stones nearly walked away. Now he describes being at this World Cup as "pure joy" (3). The Manchester City defender has spoken openly about how close he came to retiring from international football before finding his way back. His resilience is a quiet backbone of this squad.

Eze puts his hand up for penalties

Eberechi Eze missed from the spot in Arsenal's Champions League final shootout defeat to PSG, and he still wants the ball. "If called upon, for sure. Why wouldn't I take it?" (4). That is exactly the kind of nerve you want in a knockout tournament. PSG won that final 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

Foden "gutted" to miss out, O'Reilly lifts the lid

Phil Foden is out of the World Cup. Manchester City teammate Nico O'Reilly says Foden is "gutted" to be missing the tournament (5). No further detail on the nature of the absence, but the disappointment is real inside the camp.

Henderson: Croatia's midfield is world-class

Jordan Henderson knows Luka Modric better than most. The former Ajax captain says Croatia's midfield is among the best he has ever faced (7). England's group opener on Wednesday will be decided in the middle of the park.

England Women cruise past Ukraine at Everton's stadium

England Women beat Ukraine 3–0 in a World Cup qualifier hosted at Everton's new ground (6). Former Everton chief Keith Wyness called it more about visibility than money: "It really isn't about the money so much for Everton; it's about the visibility of the new stadium as a venue for different events rather than just Everton games" (6).

Fan reactions

The Saka question is the one keeping fans up. A post on the Arsenal subreddit highlights England's focus on set-pieces in training, with Rice, James, and Saka all designated dead-ball specialists, but the Achilles issue leaves real doubt over whether Saka starts on Wednesday. Full thread