Rashford Hamstring Niggle Hands Tuchel a Ghana Selection Headache

Marcus Rashford is an injury doubt for England's second World Cup group game against Ghana on Tuesday after complaining of a tight hamstring following his match-winning cameo against Croatia.

The 28-year-old came off the bench to score England's fourth in Wednesday's 4-2 win and had pushed himself into contention to start. Now Thomas Tuchel faces a genuine selection call, though the language coming out of the camp points to a niggle rather than anything more serious.

Rashford's hamstring scare and what it means for the Ghana XI

Let's be clear about the scale of this first. Rashford reported a tight hamstring after the Croatia game, per The Sun, and was rested from England's behind-closed-doors win over Sporting Kansas City on Thursday.

That is precaution, not panic. Tuchel is hoping to have him available for training on Saturday, with the squad handed a day off on Friday.

Why the rest tells its own story

The detail worth noting is who trained and who did not. Every other Croatia substitute, including Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers, Djed Spence and Marc Guehi, started against the MLS side. Rashford did not feature at all.

That singles him out as the one player being actively protected, which lends weight to the doubt without confirming an injury that rules him out.

• Rashford scored England's fourth in the 4-2 win over Croatia
• Rated 7/10 by talkSPORT's Adrian Durham
• Omitted entirely from Thursday's friendly win over Sporting Kansas City
• Targeted to return to training on Saturday

The stakes for England

This is not a dead-rubber selection. A win over Ghana guarantees England a place in the knockout stage with their final World Cup Group L clash against Panama to spare.

That raises the cost of any gamble. With qualification on the line, Tuchel has every incentive to err on the side of caution with a player carrying a hamstring complaint.

Why Tuchel won't gamble and how Gordon waits in the wings

The safety net is the reason England can afford patience. Should Rashford fail to shake off the niggle, Anthony Gordon stands ready to start on the left wing, a role he has already filled at this tournament.

Gordon is a like-for-like option in directness and pace, which removes much of the pressure to rush Rashford back.

Tuchel's wider rotation puzzle

There is also a load-management thread running through this squad. Saka, who also came off the bench against Croatia, will seemingly have his minutes managed across the tournament.

Tuchel is clearly thinking in terms of the full campaign rather than a single fixture. A manager balancing Saka's workload is unlikely to throw a doubtful Rashford into a game England can win without him.

"He struggled for us to be decisive when he started, but he was always trying and got a bit unlucky for a long time. We just had a talk where I told him that I'm very, very impressed with his last 16 days, how he was in camp, how he pushes on the field."

That was Tuchel on Rashford's attitude in North America. It is the verdict of a coach who values the player, but not one who needs to risk him.

The bettors' angle

For team-news markets, Rashford's fitness is the pivotal variable, with talkSPORT BET offering an enhanced 30/1 for England to beat Ghana. A confirmed Gordon start would simplify the picture, while a late Rashford recall would shift the attacking shape on the left.

From Barcelona limbo to England's in-form man the bigger picture

The hamstring is the immediate story. The more compelling one is what a fit Rashford is doing to his own future at this tournament.

Weeks ago he was in career limbo. Now he is England's in-form impact sub, taking games by the scruff of the neck off the bench.

The club situation that won't resolve itself

Rashford spent 2025/26 on loan at Barcelona, helping them win LaLiga and contributing 14 goals and 14 assists across 49 matches. Despite that, and despite Rashford publicly stating he would be happy to stay at the Camp Nou, Barca declined to activate the £26million buy option in his contract.

That option expired earlier this week. According to talkSPORT's Alex Crook, senior Manchester United sources say they do not plan to engage with Barcelona over another loan deal.

A release clause with two locked doors

Rashford retains a £40m release clause at Old Trafford. The catch is that two clubs are blocked from triggering it: rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

That leaves him effectively available on the open market to everyone else, with his England displays acting as a live audition.

"When you see him play like that, coming off the bench, taking the game by the scruff of the neck, taking defenders on, scoring a brilliant goal, it does beg the question, are Manchester United maybe missing a trick here? Should Michael Carrick be reintegrating Marcus Rashford into his plans for next season?"

Crook's point lands precisely because of the timing. Every contribution in North America reshapes the summer conversation around a player whose club future remains unresolved.

What happens next

The first marker is Saturday's training session. If Rashford takes part, the doubt eases quickly and he returns to contention for a Ghana start; if he sits out again, expect Gordon to be confirmed on the left.

Either way, England can clinch the knockout stage with victory on Tuesday, which removes any temptation to rush a key forward back from a hamstring complaint.

Beyond the tournament, the transfer noise will only grow louder. With Barcelona's option gone, United reluctant to sanction another loan and a £40m clause hanging over him, Rashford is using this World Cup to answer questions about his next move with his football.