- Trent Alexander-Arnold started England’s first two group games
- But Conor Gallagher is expected to appear alongside Declan Rice in Cologne.
- Listen to It’s all starting! Are Harry Kane and Declan Rice right to respond to Gary Lineker’s criticism?
Gareth Southgate will end his confusing experiment in England’s midfield by dropping Trent Alexander-Arnold and starting Conor Gallagher in the final Euro 2024 group game against Slovenia, according to reports.
Alexander-Arnold, a natural right-back for Liverpool at club level, was named in Southgate’s starting XI for the win over Serbia and the draw with Denmark, but is now expected to drop out of midfield with Gallagher taking his place.
Chelsea’s Gallagher had replaced Alexander-Arnold during the Three Lions’ first two group matches and The Athletic He claims that he will get the go-ahead for tomorrow’s game.
Southgate and assistant director Steve Holland are believed to have worked with Alexander-Arnold for several months to prepare him for his unknown role, but his displays alongside Declan Rice divided opinion among fans and pundits.
England leads Group C with four points and will aim to finish first in Cologne.
Conor Gallagher will start in England’s midfield in their final Euro 2024 group stage match.
Trent Alexander-Arnold started the first two games, but will go down against Slovenia.
Southgate openly pointed to his team’s lack of balance after the impasse with Denmark and lamented the lack of a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips, a comment Gary Lineker considers “insulting” to his players.
Pushing Alexander-Arnold into new territory, Southgate, who removed the full-back after 54 minutes on Thursday, said the tactical gamble was an “experiment”.
‘I wanted Conor to act; We needed some energy and pressing better,” Southgate admitted after the match. ‘He (Alexander-Arnold) had some moments where he delivered what we thought he would do. We know it’s an experiment.
‘We know that we do not have a natural replacement for Kalvin Philips. “We are trying different things and at the moment we are not flowing as we would like.”
But Rice, speaking before the Slovenia game, insisted Alexander-Arnold had the tools to play in midfield and attack the 25-year-old’s skeptics.
Liverpool’s natural right-back, Alexander-Arnold’s performances in midfield have divided opinion
Alexander-Arnold (left) was replaced by Gallagher (right) in Serbia’s victory and Denmark’s draw.
“It’s funny because people were asking for Trent to play in midfield,” Rice told ITV. “Half the country is asking for Trent to play in midfield, and then you put him in midfield and then you want to bring him down.”
‘I don’t understand it, I don’t understand it at all. I will defend all my boys until the day I never wear an England shirt. Trent is one of the best players I have ever seen in my life.
‘Don’t ask someone to play a position and then back off because you think they had a bad game or something.
‘I’ll tell you now: Trent can play in midfield. I’ve seen it in England, I’ve seen it in Liverpool, it’s incredible. That’s what I tell people who say that kind of thing.
Gallagher’s inclusion is likely to be the only change to the England squad despite Kieran Trippier, who filled in at left-back in Germany, recovering from a calf injury.
In a significant boost, Luke Shaw was seen training with the rest of Southgate’s squad during a training session on Monday after missing the first two games.
