England's unused players will get a much-needed training game against MLS side Sporting Kansas City (SKC) on Thursday, according to manager Thomas Tuchel. This move comes as a strategic decision to provide these players with valuable match practice during the gap between games, especially with the upcoming World Cup campaign. The England squad, having just returned from a 4-2 win over Croatia, is now in Kansas City for four days before heading to Boston to face Ghana on Tuesday.
The 13 England players who did not see action against Croatia will get their chance to train and play, with Tuchel emphasizing the importance of 'extra match loading' for these players. This informal training match is expected to be shorter than a formal 90-minute game, allowing the players to gain experience and build confidence.
The England squad features a mix of established and emerging talents. Those who didn't play against Croatia include Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Jarrell Quansah, Dan Burn, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins, and Ivan Toney. On the other hand, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Djed Spence, and Marc Guehi came on as substitutes, with Rashford scoring a crucial goal.
Tuchel's approach to player management is evident in his words, "We try to play an in-house match after the Croatia match. We have many days between matches, so we can give the players who won't play many minutes tomorrow extra match loading. We did it after Costa Rica, and we do it one last time on the day after the Croatia game."
This training game against SKC is particularly interesting given the team's current state. Sporting KC, under the leadership of sporting director David Lee, is in the midst of a roster rebuild. They sit second-last in the MLS with 11 points from 14 games, but their squad includes forward Dejan Joveljic, a key player for the Serbian national team.
The match against SKC provides an opportunity for England's unused players to gain valuable experience against a team in a similar rebuilding phase. It's a strategic move that showcases Tuchel's commitment to player development and his understanding of the importance of match practice, especially during the World Cup year.
