Stan Collymore thinks he knows how Gareth Southgate will field his England team for tonight’s final Group B game against Wales.
The former Liverpool star, who is also one of CaughtOffside’s columnists, has weighed in ahead of England’s group-clinching match against Rob Page’s Dragons.
On their way to top Group B, England, who lead the table with four points, know that a win tonight will guarantee them top spot, with a draw also enough to progress to the World Cup knockout phase. If the points are split and Iran beat the USA, the Three Lions will only qualify second. The USA could also qualify with a win over Iran, but for Wales to progress they not only need the USA and Iran to draw, they would need to put up four goals over England. Tough night for the Welsh.
Anyway, with the Group B permutations out of the way, let’s see what Collymore has to say about England’s chances against tonight’s opponents.
Speaking about the 11 men Southgate could name in his starting squad, Collymore, speaking in an exclusive interview, said: “It is my understanding that the England line-up tonight will consist of Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Henderson, Rice , Bellingham, Foden, Rashford, Kane”.
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After evaluating that potential lineup, which is yet to be confirmed, Collymore suggested that Jude Bellingham might be better off resting, but singled out the passing ability of Harry Maguire and John Stones as a particular area of strength.
“I’m surprised to hear that Bellingham will start. I would have thought it would be better to take him out for this one and rest him,” Collymore added.
“I thought I was a bit out of rhythm against the USA, but it all depends on how they trained. Gareth Southgate sees them every day, so let’s not question his decisions too much. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Henderson start though. I think he did very well when he faced the United States last week.
“However, it seems that Kieran Trippier will rest. I don’t think it’s because he was poor. I just think Southgate is mixing it up a bit and giving one of his older players a rest ahead of the knockout stage of the tournament – fingers crossed we get there.
“However, I think it will be an easy night for England. I know Wales are likely to line up with Kiefer Moore up front, who is normally an aerial threat, but I’m not too worried about the experience and presence of Harry Maguire and John Stones back there.
“I expect Wales to fly the blocks for the first 20 to 30 minutes, but after that it will run out and England should be able to go on and remove them. My prediction is two to zero.
