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GARETH SOUTHGATE is set to ring the changes for tomorrow’s clash against Denmark with Trent Alexander-Arnold hopeful of a start. The England boss will finalise his plans for the clash in Copenhagen over the next 24 hours but right back Kyle Walker’s sending off against Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday enforces at least one change. Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold, who has missed much of pre-season and was left out of the starting XI at the weekend as he builds up his fitness, is in line to take the vacated slot. Southgate views the full back as crucial to his plans ahead of next summer’s Euros. The manager is planning further tweaks to his team, including a change in formation, switching to a 3-4-3 having used a 4-3-3 against Iceland. The move would see Southgate draft in a central defender in place of a midfielder and that could open the door for Conor Coady, who plays in a back three with Wolves, to be handed his international debut. Everton’s Michael Keane is another option. Speaking after the win in Iceland, Southgate fell short of confirming that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford would keep his place, with Burnley’s Nick Pope hopeful of replacing him. Southgate will make late checks on the fitness of all his players — the most notable being captain Harry Kane — after many appeared to be suffering with
fatigue during the closing stages in Reykjavik. The England boss said: ‘I think the most important thing over the next few days will be to assess who can start two games, what gives us the freshness but also keeps enough experience to keep the balance of the team right. ‘Energy will be key. And I think you saw through the game, particularly the first 20 minutes, that match sharpness was lacking. But it is impossible to expect them to be at their best, given not only the time since their last competitive games, but also the shortage of training minutes. ‘Until we are able to assess everybody that is still going to need some piecing together.’
punishment for the sending-off — England’s first since Raheem Sterling was dismissed against Ecuador in June 2014 — but Southgate will use the incident to educate his group about how costly errors of judgement can be.
‘We wouldn’t have brought Kyle back into the squad if we didn’t think he could do the job,’ said Southgate. ‘His club form has been very good. But he knows he made an error that shouldn’t have happened.’
Whether Walker, who called his sliding challenge ‘ unacceptable’, will get the chance to secure his 50th cap remains to be seen. There had been 15 months between his 48th and 49th appearances and the form of Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool and Manchester United youngster Aaron Wan-Bissaka illustrates the size of the task he faces.
Southgate said: ‘I think Kieran Trippier did an excellent job at left back. He was defensively very solid, used the ball securely and allowed us to keep our midfield players a bit higher and our wingers wider. So, yes, there are other players in those positions.
‘It’s the first time we’ve had a red card in the four years and it makes the game so difficult. We got away with it but it’s something all of the players know.’