Thomas Tuchel keeps his England players guessing on his starting XI right up until matchday.England stars may only discover who is playing against Croatia on the morning of the game as they prepare for their World Cup opener in Dallas on Wednesday.Yes, journalists have their sources and we're all looking for clues and hints from the England camp, open training access and interviews.Tuchel is known for only confirming his team in the hours before kick-off - and that leaves us wondering who will get the nod to start England’s World Cup campaign as they look to get off to a winning start.‌England's Noni Madueke, who was being tipped to start ahead of Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka due to his fitness issues, was asked on Monday if he knew the starting XI.Madueke replied to the question from BBC's Kelly Cates, saying: "No we don't yet, But you guys seem to know. You guys can tell us!"We normally have a team meeting before the game, on matchday, a few hours beforehand and find out then. But as of now (Monday) we don't know."Here are the key decisions - and what we know so far:There are FOUR key areas up for grabs: left wing, right wing, centre half and also No10.‌1. Bukayo Saka is set for his 50th cap and the fact he did the press conference on Monday is not the be all and end all. But it was a nice indicator as he said he was "ready to gamble" on his fitness.We reported on Friday that he was pushing to start despite not being able to train fully every day last week.Saka will simply not start and finish every game because of his ongoing Achilles issue - he has Achilles tendinitis which needs managing.‌He will share duties with his close pal and club and country teammate Madueke. But the vibe is that Saka will start against Croatia and then probably play two of the three Group games.Verdict: You cannot underestimate Saka on the England stage. He is experienced, a big game player and always delivers for England. That gets him the nod against Croatia.2. We are looking for clues for the left wing.‌Here’s one: on Sunday, the team which started the final friendly against Costa Rica trained and ran together at the start of a training session.That included Anthony Gordon who may have edged ahead of Marcus Rashford on the left wing with his performance in that game - and his defensive qualities.England boss Tuchel likes Gordon’s pressing, defensive work and that may give him an edge in the hardest game in the Group.Rashford has explosive pace but Gordon may get the nod at left wing for the opener. Gareth Southgate wanted to use Gordon through Euro 2024 but falling off his bike, grazing his chin and making a bit of a twit of himself did not help.‌Verdict: Now this tournament could be Gordon's chance to shine.3. No10 - this looks straightforward.Jude Bellingham has won the day over Morgan Rogers thanks to his performances in training, his form and, let’s be honest, he has got the X factor and is made for the big occasion.‌Bellingham is England’s biggest name, biggest star and best hope when it comes to fuelling the World Cup dream.Verdict: This one looks done. Bellingham to start.4. The centre half decision looked to be Marc Guehi and someone else. Then, against Costa Rica, Ezri Konsa and John Stones played together - and put on one hell of an audition.‌Konsa is a firm Tuchel favourite for his pace, tenacity and reading of the game. He loves him. Thinks he is underrated and the Aston Villa defender has trained so well.Then you have Stones. Now if Tuchel did not rate him so highly, there is no way he would be in the squad because he has barely played for Manchester City.But Stones is another Tuchel favourite for his quality on the ball, ability to bring the ball out and that may get him the nod against Croatia.Guehi probably thinks back to Tuchel’s first game in charge of England and he did not start - and still wonders whether the ex-Chelsea boss who let him go from Stamford Bridge really fancies him.‌But that is probably in Guehi’s mind as much as whether Konsa and Stones really are ahead in the race.Verdict: This is arguably the tightest call. But Stones and Konsa to get the nod.Here is what is most likely to be Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI against CroatiaJordan PickfordReece JamesJohn StonesEzri KonsaNico O’ReillyDeclan RiceElliot AndersonBukayo SakaJude BellinghamAnthony GordonHarry Kane‌Agree with John Cross? Pick your England teamGet the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!