Former Argentina midfielder Ossie Ardiles has claimed that England could have a successful 2018 World Cup because there is no pressure on them to succeed.

Gareth Southgate has selected a youthful squad for this summer's tournament, and the Three Lions are fancied to make it through a group which also includes Tunisia, Panama and Belgium.

Ardiles has said that England will not be expected to win the competition, and that could stand them in good stead.

"Normally England go to the World Cup with a lot of people thinking 'We're going to win the World Cup again' and these guys are not like that," Ardiles told reporters.

"They're going to play more free football, so they could go a long way. To win the World Cup is maybe too much. England's squad is pretty good; there's a lot of young players who will go there with no fear at all.

"You have to play the World Cup and try to go as far as possible. It depends, there could be injuries, there could be penalties. I hope England are going to go through the group, then it will depend who they play next, when the real World Cup starts. The favourites are Brazil, Spain and Germany."

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ardiles won the 1978 World Cup with Argentina.