MX23RW : Tuesday, November 12 18:23:49| >> :120:26299:26299:
[monks data]
England national football team
European Championship | Group Stage
Jun 13, 2021 at 2pm UK
Wembley Stadium
Croatia national football team

England
1 - 0
Croatia

Sterling (57')
Foden (64')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Caleta-Car (42'), Kovacic (48'), Brozovic (66')

How England could line up against Croatia

How England could line up against Croatia
© Reuters
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how England could line up for their Euro 2020 opener with Croatia on Sunday.

England manager Gareth Southgate is not expected to risk Harry Maguire for their opening clash of Euro 2020 with Croatia on Sunday afternoon.

The Manchester United man has battled his way back from an ankle problem and is training with the England squad, but the weekend will likely come too soon for him, leaving Southgate in a predicament at the back.

Despite going with a four-man rearguard against Romania, Southgate is understood to be trialling a three-man defence with Luke Shaw alongside John Stones and Kyle Walker, which would see Tyrone Mings drop out following his shaky showing last weekend.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's injury leaves Kieran Trippier and Reece James in direct competition for the right-wing back spot, and the Atletico Madrid man is reportedly in line to get the nod, while Ben Chilwell is a shoo-in on the left if Shaw features further back.

Jordan Henderson may not be deemed ready to start just yet either, so a two-man midfield of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips appears the most likely option for the Three Lions, with Jude Bellingham patiently waiting in the wings.

The final third of the field is where the bulk of Southgate's dilemmas lie, as the England boss must choose two of a plethora of talented attackers to provide support to Premier League Golden Boot winner Harry Kane.

Jack Grealish's strong showings earlier this month could see him rewarded with a place over Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka - the latter of whom is doubtful with a hip issue anyway - and Champions League winner Mason Mount will hope to edge out Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling.

England possible starting lineup: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Shaw; Trippier, Rice, Phillips, Chilwell; Mount, Grealish; Kane

> Click here to see how Croatia could line up for this clash

ID:450989:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4461:No Data Analysis info
Game History

How you voted: England vs Croatia

England
67.6%
Draw
17.5%
Croatia
14.9%
913
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
England's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring against Austria on June 2, 2021
Read Next:
England Euro 2020 preview - prediction, fixtures, squad, star player
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!