Toney bags second behind-closed-doors hat-trick as England rout Sporting KC 5-1

Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick as England beat Sporting KC 5-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly in the United States on Thursday, less than 24 hours after Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated Croatia 4-2 in their opening World Cup warm-up fixture.

The game gave fringe players a chance to press their claims ahead of Tuesday’s match against Ghana. Toney, who also netted a hat-trick in a previous behind-closed-doors win over Miami FC, took full advantage of the extended minutes. Aston Villa pair Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins also got on the scoresheet.

Rogers was one of several players to feature in both the Croatia win and Thursday’s training-ground game. Marc Guehi, who replaced John Stones three minutes before full-time against Croatia, also played, along with Eberechi Eze and Dan Burn.

The session brought further positive news for Tuchel off the pitch, with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah arriving to bolster the squad. Chalobah was called up after Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento suffered an injury in training, ending his World Cup hopes.

Chalobah is primarily a central defender who can also operate on the right side, and his selection drew some surprise given Livramento’s role as a full-back. Former England striker Wayne Rooney suggested Luke Shaw would have been a more natural fit for the vacancy.

“It’s a bit strange,” Rooney said. “I would have liked to have seen Luke Shaw. And then Djed Spence maybe being cover for Reece James and Luke Shaw come in. But I’m sure Thomas Tuchel has kept contact with players to stay available and I’m sure he [Chalobah] was one of those who was available.”

Tuchel, who threw a ceremonial first pitch at a Kansas City Royals baseball game on Thursday, now has a full complement of options to consider as England continue their preparations for the tournament.