Thomas Tuchel talks to ITV. “We feel very well prepared … strong team … ready to go … prove a point … do the next step and win the match … I am always excited about my team because we have a strong squad … very offensive … the target is to speed up the game … it is very difficult if you always play against ten men defending … devotion … commitment … we have some things to improve but we are ready for it … it is units on the side … we attack with three or four players … it is not just about Marcus [Rashford] or Anthony [Gordon] … Declan [Rice] got a knock … he is ready to play and I would like to manage his minutes … and he has a yellow card … Jude [Bellingham] goes in the 8 position and Morgan [Rogers] in 10.”

Pre-match postbag. “How early in the game (assuming it is still goalless) do you think that you’ll receive an email bemoaning the lack of Foden/ Palmer/Alexander-Arnold in the squad? I give it 20 minutes” – David Wall

“A heads up from a veteran Concacaf viewer. In addition to Panama deploying a low block the England team can expect a steady diet of stud massages on their feet, ankles and shins” – Mary Waltz

“As the England starting XI clearly shows, the Three Lions are ready to face truth or Konsa Quansahs today” – Peter Oh

Panama have made three changes to their starting XI after the 1-0 defeat to Croatia. Fidel Escobar and Jorge Gutiérrez replace Jiovany Ramos and César Blackman at the back, while up front José Fajardo makes way for Tomás Rodríguez. Panama will hope to, at some point, send on Adalberto Carrasquilla, their beating heart and playmaker, who has yet to play at this World Cup.

As expected, England have made five changes to the side that started the goalless draw with Ghana earlier in the week. Reece James is hamstrung, so in comes Jarell Quansah at right-back. Nico O’Reilly reclaims the left-back spot from Djed Spence. Declan Rice is rested, to save his back; he’s replaced by Morgan Rogers in a more attack-minded midfield. And up front, Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon are replaced by Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, who livened things up late on against Ghana.

England have taken the weather with them. As you can ascertain from the photo, it’s been tipping down for hours in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A home from home, then! (If we factor out the current heatwave sweeping the UK, that is, but let’s not pull at threads, you get the gist.) Happily there’s no expectation of electrical activity or anything else that would cause Fifa to get their protocols on. The only stoppages tonight, god willing, will be those ever-popular Hydration Breaks. Small mercies.

It’d also be remiss of me not to mention the plight of Scotland.

Sigh.

They’re still not technically out of it, although they need Groups J, K and L to play nice if they’re to survive. The chances of that happening currently stand at a whopping 0.07%, but that last point-zero-seven chunk will be ruthlessly shaved off should Ghana fail to beat Croatia by at least three goals in tonight’s other Group L match. No point concerning ourselves with the other necessary criteria for survival just yet, then.

“Too right it’s on, Scott,” comes the brave response to all that from Simon McMahon. “I’ve got my Ghana, Uzbekistan, DR Congo, Algeria and Austria fifth-and-fifth scarf on already. Come on Scotland! It’s coming home, baby!”

As for England … well, small sample, but the ups have been more pronounced than the downs, to be fair. A win and a draw, enough to guarantee qualification for the knockouts after Spain’s victory over Uruguay last night. The first, albeit lowest, hurdle already cleared without too much undue fuss.

Here’s how Panama have done so far. If you’re going to lose both matches and not erode confidence, two gutsy displays against fancied opposition is the only way to do it.

That low block, then. It’s proving quite the puzzle. But don’t worry! Some of the top managerial minds in the world – Thomas Tuchel and Emma Hayes, to be precise – are on it.

England’s opposition tonight. Bone up on the team that started this tournament as the 33rd best in the world with our team and player guides. Start with their star man Michael Amir Murillo and click on through …