England huffed and puffed but somehow got over the line against Slovakia thanks to two late goals from Kane and Bellingham. However, things are going to get a whole lot tougher because they are now set to face a buoyant Switzerland side this weekend.
The Swiss have their tails up as they go into this tie having knocked out Italy in the Round of 16 and if they come up with a similar performance then the Three Lions will be in all sorts of problems.
There’s no denying that England have been one of the most boring and monotonous sides in this EURO 2024 but there are rumours that Gareth Southgate is looking to change that perception by altering his formation on Saturday. The England manager is not known to make radical changes to his starting line up however according to the reports in the British press, he could shift to a three-man back line and use two wing-backs to add depth into his midfield region.
The manager had used a three-man backline during the EURO 2020 as well but he will have to be really careful in terms of selecting his players or else Switzerland can rip them to shreds. England have not lost to the Swiss in their last 7 meetings but Murat Yakin’s team go into this quarter-final, unbeaten in their last 8 games.
England’s team news and injuries:
Marc Guehi is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of this EURO against Slovakia which means Ezri Konsa will come into the starting line up. A three-man defensive line also means Kyle Walker will play as the right-sided central defender which is going to allow Liverpool’s Trent-Alexander Arnold to come into the wing-back role.
The left wing-back position will be a big headache for the England manager because the right-footed Kieran Trippier won’t be able to play in that role and while Luke Shaw has made himself available, it’s highly unlikely that he is going to be handed a start after such a lengthy injury absence.
Arsenal boy Bukayo Saka can play on the left-hand side because he’s done the same in the past for the Gunners so he is a viable option. However, if Gareth Southgate does not want to take any risks then he is going to use Phil Foden at left wing-back on Saturday.
Kobbie Mainoo did justice to his starting role in the last match so he is going to hold onto his position alongside Declan Rice.
Cole Palmer found himself on the bench once again during the 2-1 win over Slovakia and now that there is going to be a change in formation, there’s no way the Chelsea lad will start ahead of Bukayo Saka.
England predicted line up vs Switzerland:
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford.
Central Defenders: Konsa, Kyle Walker, John Stones.
Wing-backs: Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Midfielders: Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice.
Attackers: Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane.
