Leeds star in line for debut

LEEDS midfielder Kalvin Phillips is in line for his England debut tonight and Gareth Southgate is also ready to give Conor Coady his international bow.

The England boss will make a host of changes to the team that started Saturday’s win over Iceland in tonight’s Nations League match against Denmark.

And Phillips is hopeful of getting the nod to start in Copenhagen alongside Declan Rice or Mason Mount. The 24-year-old was part of the bedrock of Leeds’ successful promotion challenge last season and was rewarded by Southgate with his first call-up last week despite not having played a minute of Premier League football.

And Phillips (below) is set to become the first Leeds player since Alan Smith in 2004 to play for the national team.

Having largely utilised a 4-3-3 formation since the 2018 World Cup, Southgate is expected to deploy a 3-4-3 in the Parken Stadium tonight with a view to keeping that set-up until next summer’s Euros. That means Wolves centre back

Coady is in line for his debut in a three- man defence alongside Joe Gomez and Eric Dier. Trent Alexander-Arnold will start at right wing back, with Kieran Trippier looking to keep his place on the opposite flank ahead of Ainsley Maitland-Niles. In goal, Jordan Pickford expects to keep his place despite the competition from Burnley’s Nick Pope. Southgate said last week that he would give all his goalkeepers — including Dean Henderson — game time between now and the European Championship.

But with the England manager looking likely to make at least four changes to the team who started in Reykjavik, he may stick with Pickford tonight, his regular No 1.

Despite appearing to suffer from fatigue in the second half in Iceland, skipper Harry Kane is expected to keep his place up front, flanked by Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho.

England’s Under 21s play a European Championship qualifier tonight against Austria in Vienna.