England's 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas got Thomas Tuchel's World Cup campaign off to a flying start — but it also exposed two selection debates the head coach cannot avoid as his side prepares to face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.

The defensive dilemma: Guehi or Konsa?

Tuchel chose Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa ahead of Manchester City's Marc Guehi to partner John Stones at centre-back, a decision that drew scrutiny after Croatia found gaps in England's backline. Petar Musa exploited one of those gaps to score Croatia's second equaliser, catching Konsa out of position.

The numbers suggest the choice was not a bolt from the blue. Across England's 15 matches under Tuchel, Konsa has started 10 — behind only Jordan Pickford and Harry Kane — and has accumulated 933 minutes. Guehi, by contrast, has started just seven games and played 504 minutes. It is also worth noting that Tuchel was in charge at Chelsea when Guehi was sold to Crystal Palace in July 2021.

Former England striker Chris Sutton argues the real question is not whether Guehi should replace Konsa, but whether Stones should be starting at all. "I'd have Guehi and Konsa because they are the best defenders," Sutton told BBC Sport. "Once England get out of the group, which they will, you will need your best defenders when you're playing against the best attackers. Konsa and Guehi have better attributes in terms of one-against-one situations than John Stones."

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson takes a more measured view, insisting Croatia's quality should temper any criticism. "This is the first game of a major tournament and Croatia are ranked 11th in the world," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "The pleasing thing for Thomas Tuchel was that it wasn't individual errors — it was a collective unit. He can work on that in training."

Robinson believes Stones retains the manager's full confidence: "John Stones has got the trust of the manager. He is one of his leaders on the pitch. Three into two doesn't go, and I don't have an issue with who Tuchel picks."

The left-flank battle: can Rashford displace Gordon?

Anthony Gordon started on the left wing and had a subdued afternoon in Dallas, finishing bottom of BBC Sport's player ratings for the Croatia game with a score of 5.54 out of 10. Marcus Rashford came off the bench in his place and made an immediate impact, scoring England's fourth goal in an energetic 18-minute cameo.

The backstory adds extra intrigue. Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona, and the Catalan club subsequently paid £69.3 million to sign Gordon permanently from Newcastle United. Gordon had missed matches at the end of the campaign, with Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe leaving him out as the move became inevitable.

Sutton believes the in-form argument favours Rashford. "Gordon's form suffered towards the end of the season — he didn't play much for Newcastle and he doesn't seem quite up to speed," he said. "Rashford took his goal well and looked good. It's close, but at the moment I'd go for Rashford."

With goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also required to produce a crucial save when the score stood at 3-2, Tuchel knows his side still has room to tighten up — both at the back and in how they manage leads. The Ghana match in Boston on Tuesday will provide his next opportunity to find the right answers.