England forward, Marcus Rashford, has urged his teammates to maintain a relentless level of intensity against Ghana as the Three Lions seek to secure qualification for the World Cup knockout stage with a match to spare.
Thomas Tuchel’s side made an impressive start to their Group L campaign, defeating Croatia 4-2 in Dallas.
Harry Kane scored twice in a frantic first half before England took control after the break, with Jude Bellingham finding the net shortly after the restart and Rashford adding a late goal to complete the victory.
Ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Ghana in Boston, Rashford believes England must focus on sustaining the high standards they displayed against Croatia.
“I think we have to bring an intensity that they can’t live with and we try and stick to that,” the forward told the Football Association.
“If we can play at that level, it can win you games.
“The one thing we can predict is how we conduct ourselves over 90 minutes or 120 minutes.
“So, I think we just have to focus on that as players. We just have to keep pushing ourselves. We’re definitely capable.”
A win over Ghana would guarantee England a place in the Round of 32 and could also secure top spot in the group if Panama fail to overcome Croatia later on Tuesday.
Finishing first in Group L before the final matchday would give Tuchel the opportunity to rotate his squad against Panama on Saturday, allowing key players to rest before the knockout rounds.
Rashford, now competing in his fifth major international tournament, said he is relishing another opportunity to perform on football’s biggest stage despite intense competition for places in the squad.
“We’re one team and we have to fight for each other in the exact same way that you fight for your club teams,” the forward, now at his fifth major tournament, said. “That’s the norm now.
“We understand it’s difficult because everybody wants to play and a lot of players deserve to play. At some point, players are going to be disappointed, but it’s about how you handle it.”
The Barcelona attacker came off the bench to score against Croatia after recovering from minor discomfort that forced him to sit out an internal practice match. He returned to full training with the squad on Saturday following a scheduled day off.
England have also received a boost with midfielder Declan Rice declaring himself fit for the Ghana encounter. Rice was substituted during the second half of the Croatia victory as a precaution after experiencing hamstring-related discomfort.
The Arsenal midfielder said he is ready for action in Massachusetts.
He explained that he had been “feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring” but added that the issue has been managed since Christmas.
Bukayo Saka was the only player absent from England’s open training session on Saturday as he continues to recover from an Achilles problem.
However, striker Ollie Watkins confirmed the winger rejoined the group on Sunday.
