Rashford muscle scare clouds England's World Cup win over Croatia

Marcus Rashford gave England a fitness concern after complaining of muscle tightness — and appearing to feel his hamstring — following his substitute appearance in England’s World Cup Group opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.

Rashford came on late in the game and made an immediate impact, using his pace to score England’s fourth goal and seal the victory. However, his discomfort at the final whistle raised questions about his readiness for England’s next Group match against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.

The hope within the camp is that Rashford has not suffered any significant injury, with the quick turnaround between matches a concern for the entire squad. Several players reportedly complained of cramp, with the varying weather conditions across training and match venues believed to be a contributing factor.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has spoken openly about his approach to using wide players throughout the tournament, drawing a distinction between starters and impact substitutes who can change games from the bench. Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon started against Croatia, with Bukayo Saka and Rashford both introduced late to telling effect.

Tuchel intends to deploy his wingers in a similar rotation as the tournament progresses. He also confirmed that Saka is building towards full match fitness after an Achilles issue, suggesting the Arsenal forward will be sharper by the time England reach their final group game.

“Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready,” Tuchel said after the Croatia match. “I think once we go to the last game of this group he will be ready. He was strong in training in small spaces. It was just a matter of if the game was open and he was up and down.”

England’s players were given a full day off on Friday, with Tuchel allowing them to spend time with family, partners, and friends. Several relatives attended the Croatia game in Dallas, and players have also been permitted to receive visitors at the team’s base in Kansas City.