England team-sheet gaffe is no help to me, says Panama coach Hernan Dario Gomez ahead of World Cup meeting

Panama's manager has denied that leaked England line-up or the sporadic use of video review at the World Cup will give his team an edge when they face the Three Lions on Sunday.

“It doesn't give me or afford me any advantage,” Hernan Dario Gomez said after Gareth Southgate's starting XI were accidentally revealed. “Each and every coach needs to make sure that they are 100 per cent prepared and ready regardless of the opponent, that players work well, know their football, keep up the good work, and from there go for the win.”

Asked about Marcus Rashford being listed ahead of Raheem Sterling, he said “it doesn't matter who plays because the other one is just as good”. 

Notes photographed in assistant manager Steve Holland's hand on Thursday suggested that Rashfort will start instead of Sterling, who drew a blank against Tunisia, and that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will take the place of injured Dele Alli.

Regardless of the lineup, England have far more depth than newcomers Panama, who are playing in their first-ever World Cup after they beat Costa Rica with a ghost goal and the United States lost to Trinidad and Tobago. 

On the other hand, Panama, the oldest squad in Russia, have already lost 0-3 to Belgium and will have the motivation of knowing that their tournament is over if England win. 

Midfielder Edgar Barcenas, who was seen in tears during a talk last week with the fierce Gomez, admitted the team suffered some “stage fright” during the Belgium match but would try “to enjoy things because that's the way you play”.

Although the team are making their debut, their manager has the experience of coaching both Colombia and Ecuador in his four previous World Cups.

Gomez has seen his share of adversity: He was Colombia assistant when Andres Escobar was assassinated after an own goal in 1994 and was even shot himself after dropping the president's son from the Ecuador youth team in 2001.

Then Panama midfielder Amilcar Henriquez was shot to death outside his home last year during the qualification phase for this tournament, a loss that Gomez said “hurt us a lot”.

He was also asked about the video assistance referee introduced at this World Cup, which has drawn controversy yet again after two Swiss defenders held Aleksandr Mitrovic in the box with impunity during their victory over Serbia on Friday night. 

Gomez cited the incident as evidence of how problematic VAR can be and claimed it didn't factor into his game plan.

“I don't give any specific instructions. We like to play hard,” he said. “I'm not dwelling on VAR at all, maybe others it affects their style of play but not us.”

England may well be concerned, however, after striker Harry Kane was wrestled to the ground in the area without a penalty during the match with Tunisia. 

Panama are known as a physical team and are expected to commit fouls to slow down a squad that Gomez openly admitted are faster than his own. 

He said Panama would focus on England's top players, although he refused to name anyone in particular. 

“We know these star players, we can't give them any space,” Gomez said. “There's only one ball on pitch and we're going to fight for it, we're not going to let them pass it around too much.”

He admitted that England was one of his favourite sides and “a very beautiful and well organised team”:

“We're going to be facing once again a rival that's excellent, that's better than us, and we need to try to keep him tied up.”