Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how England could line up for Saturday’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.
England manager Gareth Southgate faces a number of critical selection calls for Saturday’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.
Fresh from a smash-and-grab last-16 success over Slovakia, the Three Lions are working around the absence of star defender Marc Guehi, suspended on account of picking up two yellow cards in the tournament.
Guehi ought to be England’s only enforced absentee for the weekend, as John Stones and Kieran Trippier have trained normally after some niggles, although Southgate will surely be reluctant to use Luke Shaw from the off; the Manchester United man is still waiting for his first minutes since February.
With Guehi on the naughty step, Southgate is apparently weighing up a switch to a three-man defence for the weekend – the same system that Switzerland employ – where Kyle Walker and Stones will certainly start in front of Jordan Pickford.
Shaw would be a back-three candidate had he been fully fit, and Ezri Konsa is now considered the favourite to replace Guehi, but it remains to be seen whether Southgate opts for a 3-4-3, 3-5-2 or a different variation.
The latter system appears to be the most viable option, as Trippier and Bukayo Saka – who finished the Slovakia game on the left mere days after insisting that such a move was not a solution – could act as England’s wing-backs.
Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham will man the midfield as ever, and Southgate has shown unwavering loyalty to Phil Foden, suggesting that the Manchester City man could continue in the first XI in a slightly more central position.
The two-man strikeforce of Ivan Toney and Harry Kane combined for the latter’s extra-time winner against Slovakia, and there is every chance that the former could now operate with his skipper at the tip of the England attack, demoting Kobbie Mainoo – in spite of his strong last-16 showing – to the bench in the process.
England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Walker, Konsa, Stones; Trippier, Bellingham, Rice, Foden, Saka; Kane, Toney
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