RIDDLE ENGLAND

Wembley defeat raises more questions than answers on Southgate’s top team

GARETH SOUTHGATE did not even get a chance to try to solve the final pieces of the puzzle on Saturday night.

Instead, the loss ended up ringing alarm bells for Southgate after Brazil’s next superstar exposed England’s understudies.

Endrick, aged 17 years and 246 days, became the youngest international scorer at Wembley with his first goal for his country.

But for the Three Lions, it highlighted three key worries ahead of the Euros and, rather than build confidence, it had the opposite effect by delivering a few home truths.

The first concern is at left-back because, as Southgate admitted, Luke Shaw is running out of time to be fit for the whole of the tournament this summer.

There is also a gaping hole alongside Declan Rice in midfield and the idea of the two friendlies with Brazil and Belgium was to try out Trent Alexander-arnold in both against top opposition.

And finally, it showed the importance of Harry Kane.

His goals but also his movement, his ability to bring team-mates into play and the way he holds the ball up actually makes England a completely different and better team.

Kane’s absence through injury shows that Southgate needs to wrap him in cotton wool and pray that he does not get hurt again. Ollie Watkins did not take his chance up front and it is over to Ivan Toney tomorrow night. Similarly, Ben Chilwell looked miles off as Shaw’s understudy.

The Chelsea left-back had a stinker in the Carabao Cup final and his recent injury issues have meant he is a long way from being match-fit.

Shaw is out until the end of the domestic season with a hamstring injury and Southgate admitted it is hard to see a scenario where the Manchester United full-back could return and still be able to play potentially seven games at the Euros.

Southgate said diplomatically: “I thought Ben defended really well and it was an important game for him. But Luke’s one of the best left-backs in world football. He’s going to be right on the edge of the season. We know now to play seven matches in a Euros is highly unlikely.”

The closest Alexanderarnold came to being involved at Wembley was going to the Brazil game as a spectator.

While Shaw has been doing his rehab at St George’s Park to be close to the group, Alexanderarnold is further down the path to recovery and therefore has stayed at Liverpool in the past week to get ready for a return to action with his club.

Effectively,

Southgate has nine places nailed down. The England boss knows his best team for the Euros – apart from at left-back and in midfield alongside Rice.

Alexander-arnold has played as a hybrid right-back into midfield for Liverpool, but Southgate wants to see him as a pure midfielder to utilise his passing range, delivery and incredible assist record. He is England’s best passer.

But now the dilemma is whether Southgate can go into a tournament without having tried him in midfield regularly enough.

His last game there was in North Macedonia in November, which hardly tested him.

And judging from Southgate’s comments, the England boss clearly feels it may be a big risk.

He said: “It’s such a specialist position. There’s a huge difference between playing at full-back and popping into midfield and playing in there, starting in there, in and out of position in the game, receiving with your back to goal, so there’s a lot to that.

“The midfield thing we’ve seen, but we’ve missed two opportunities with September and now this one.

“That is frustrating because there’s so much that’s unknown.

“I’ve liked the idea for a long time but we’re going to be trialling it when we haven’t seen it in a high-level game.”