England vs Panama team news: Raheem Sterling retains place as Gareth Southgate springs selection shock

Raheem Sterling is set to keep his place for England against Panama this afternoon, as Gareth Southgate makes just one change to the team that beat Tunisia.

Sterling had been widely predicted to miss out after Steve Holland's team sheet at training on Thursday morning appeared to show Marcus Rashford starting ahead of him.

But Southgate said at his pre-match press conference in Nizhny Novgorod on Saturday evening that that sheet would not be the team. And Sterling will now retain his place for this afternoon's game, as was reported overnight. This represents a show of faith in the Manchester City forward from Southgate and Holland, after a mixed performance in Volgograd on Monday.

The only change from that game is Ruben Loftus-Cheek coming in for his first competitive start for the national side. He replaces Dele Alli, who limped off on Monday with a thigh injury, and has struggled to train since. Loftus-Cheek replaced Alli in the Tunisia game and is expected to play an important part in trying to unpick the Panama defence this afternoon.

England will also have to battle the heat in Nizhny Novgorod for the game which is a 15:00 kick-off local time, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-30s for the game.

A second successive victory for England will see them reach the World Cup 2018 last-16 with a game to spare.

Predicted England team: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Loftus-Cheek, Henderson, Young; Lingard, Sterling; Kane.