Rashford could be an unlikely World Cup hero for England

ENGLAND only have a chance of doing well at the World Cup — which for me means reaching the semi-final or final — if Harry Kane has a superb tournament. I’m not sure who else will get lots of goals for them.

I think Gareth Southgate will opt for Marcus Rashford as the back-up striker ahead of Callum Wilson and Ivan Toney and it will be tough for the ones who miss out, given their fine form this season. Rashford’s experience and return to form make him a cert, after a couple of years not being the automatic choice. There is no better place to step up than at a World Cup. He could have a month of great football. Ben Chilwell’s hamstring injury playing for Chelsea is a blow to England, with Reece James already a doubt. A hamstring injury is the one the players hate. Bob Paisley, who was physio at Liverpool before he was manager, would look at a player with a hamstring injury and declare it was ‘a four-weeker’ or ‘a six-weeker.’ I’ve witnessed many a player re-joining training, declaring themselves fit and then on the first sprint in the game it will be a ‘ping’ — the hamstring’s gone again because in the rehabilitation period the player was subconsciously holding something back and protecting it. Then they are back to square one. This situation makes Kieran Trippier an even more valuable member of the squad. The full back positions are a major issue now. Gareth no longer has an embarrassment of riches there. But Trippier can play on both flanks and challenge

Luke Shaw for the starting position on the left.