Tuchel's referee history adds edge to England's World Cup opener

Tuchel's referee headache before Croatia opener

England face Croatia on Wednesday and the man in the middle already has history with Thomas Tuchel. Clément Turpin has been appointed for the World Cup opener in Kansas City, the same referee Tuchel once labelled "Grade E" during his time at Bayern Munich (5) (7). Turpin sent Tuchel off in a Champions League clash against Arsenal and the pair have crossed paths several times since. You don't need the extra tension, but you've got it anyway.

Henderson: Bellingham gets unfair treatment

Jordan Henderson says he finds it "hard to read" the criticism aimed at Jude Bellingham. The Ajax midfielder believes Bellingham can be England's "X-factor" at this tournament (3). "We all love him," Henderson added. "He's a huge player for us in this tournament." (4) The message from inside camp is clear, they see a player ready to dominate, not one weighed down by outside noise.

Eze: I'll take a penalty, no question

Eberechi Eze missed from the spot in Arsenal's Champions League final shootout defeat to Crystal Palace last month. He says it changes nothing for England. "If there is a penalty to take I'll be there again," Eze told reporters (8). With tournaments so often decided from 12 yards, having volunteers rather than conscripts matters.

Burn on brotherhood and Argentina's blueprint

Dan Burn wants England to channel Argentina's 2022 unity. "We've made a big thing about that since the very first camp we had together, about having this brotherhood and being together," Burn said (9). Tuchel has emphasised squad cohesion from day one and Burn's comments suggest the message is landing.

Southgate steps back, Stones reflects

Gareth Southgate turned down punditry offers to keep his distance during the tournament. "I'll be staying out of the way," the former England boss said (6). Meanwhile John Stones reflected on how far the squad has come since 2018: "The nation didn't believe" back then, he told the BBC (1). The mood now is different. There's quiet confidence inside the Kansas City camp, where tornado alerts have added an unexpected backdrop to final preparations (2).