England head coach Thomas Tuchel has described the World Cup knockout stage as “the third chapter” in a story he hopes ends in historic triumph.
Tuchel outlined that phase one was a preparation training camp in Miami, followed by topping Group L to qualify for the last 32.
“Chapter Two” produced wins against Croatia and Panama but was undermined by a dismal goalless draw with Ghana that offered little encouragement.
England now face DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday at 17:00 BST, live on BBC TV, with one slip capable of ending their campaign entirely.
Tuchel’s players will at least be spared Atlanta’s brutal heat, with the closed roof and temperature control inside the $1.6bn (£1.2bn) stadium providing relief.
The tournament has already delivered significant shocks, with bigger nations serving as cautionary tales for England heading into the knockout rounds.
Defence remains England’s most glaring concern, with injuries to key players creating serious uncertainty before the game against DR Congo.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport: “The area of the pitch you want stability in is your goalkeeper and back four. With the back four we haven’t had that.”
Newcastle’s Tino Livramento was ruled out before the tournament even began, while Chelsea captain Reece James sustained a hamstring injury against Croatia that surprised few given his injury history.
Jarell Quansah then picked up an injury against Panama, leaving Djed Spence as the last recognised right-back available, with Tuchel potentially switching Ezri Konsa across to cover.
Tuchel confirmed that both James and Quansah will miss the DR Congo match, saying: “They are getting closer and closer. Jarell is a bit ahead of Reece, but the race is close.”
The head coach must also decide whether to start Bukayo Saka, who came through 63 minutes against Panama while managing an ongoing Achilles tendon problem.
Declan Rice’s importance to England was further underlined by their unconvincing performance against Panama, where they conceded 13 shots and looked dangerously open to counter-attacks.
Rice has been dealing with a hamstring problem and also took a knock to his calf against Ghana, making his fitness a central concern for the knockout stages.
England’s display against Panama confirmed that Rice now stands alongside Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham as a player who simply cannot be replaced in this squad.
Speaking in Atlanta, Tuchel said: “We know these are the moments where we have to find ways to win. We need to dig in and to play at the highest level.”
He added: “We are the favourites. We play against our own expectations. We expect to go further than the round of 32, so why should the public not expect that?”
The dangers of complacency have been starkly illustrated by Germany’s shock penalty defeat to Paraguay, which has placed coach Julian Nagelsmann’s position under serious pressure.
The Netherlands were also eliminated by Morocco, prompting coach Ronald Koeman to resign less than 24 hours after that defeat, further underlining the ruthless nature of this tournament.
Tuchel acknowledged the warnings, saying: “There is no percentage of over-confidence in our approach. The games in the round of 32 speak a very clear language. It is very narrow margins. It actually makes me more calm than nervous.”
Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil only scraped past Japan thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time winner, confirming this is a World Cup where no result can be taken for granted.
England and Tuchel must ensure Wednesday brings the right result, as the knockout stage leaves absolutely no room for error.
