England play two friendlies during this international break, the first of which will be against Switzerland on Saturday afternoon.
The Three Lions have nothing much riding on this match but for the players, this could be a very important couple of days since the FIFA World Cup preparations are about to begin.
With the 2021/22 season coming to an end, Gareth Southgate is about to begin the process of selecting his players for Qatar so the next couple of matches will give the ideal podium to all these players to showcase their talents to the England manager.
Gareth Southgate has made it clear that he has selected youngsters over the more experienced players for this break and this same philosophy could be seen in his starting lineup on Saturday as well. England have a fairly decent record against Switzerland and they have not tasted defeat in their previous seven matches so they are the overwhelming favourites to win this weekend.
England team news vs Switzerland:
Several players have decided to pull out of the England squad in the previous few days with the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Ramsdale picking up untimely injuries.
Great feeling! Back to back wins at an important time. Big push after the international break 💪 pic.twitter.com/adhrQIu03w
— Harry Kane (@HKane) March 20, 2022
“Trent is out with a hamstring [injury] so he will not be part of as England as well,” Klopp recently told the press. “Not good news, we will see how long that takes.”
Reece James has decided to withdraw as well because he has just recovered from an injury which is why he wants to take the next week to regain his fitness.
Crystal Palace full-back Tyrick Mitchell and Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters have been called up by the England boss as the late replacements since the full-back areas are a cause of concern for Southgate.
Only two defenders have made 40+ tackles and completed 40+ take-ons in the Premier League this season:
◎ João Cancelo
◉ Kyle Walker-PetersA deserved first England call up. 🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/LIpFJpPyPK
— Squawka (@Squawka) March 21, 2022
Tammy Abraham has been in great form for Roma but he too will miss out which is why Ollie Watkins has made a late entry into the Three Lions squad, along with Sam Johnstone.
The manager is not likely to use too many fringe players on Saturday because this is the first game of the break so Southgate will want to get some confidence under his belt before he starts making radical changes.
England’s possible tactics:
The manager has used a 3-4-3 system in the past but for the England vs Switzerland match, Southgate is likely to stick with a conventional back-four.
Reporting for @England duty 💼 pic.twitter.com/2EuQ2iqhlu
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 22, 2022
The Three Lions boss should choose a mix of pro and young lads this weekend because this is the first game but if they can wrap up the tie early then he is sure to ring in the changes.
The likes of Sterling, Mount and Stones should get starting roles while others like Ben White and Jude Bellingham will be available from the bench.
England predicted line up vs Switzerland:
Predicted Starting Line up(4-2-3-1): Pickford; Ben White/Stones, Maguire, Luke Shaw, Walker-Peters; Declan Rice, Bellingham, Mason Mount; Foden, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling.