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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes there are up to four spots up for grabs in England’s starting squad for the Three Lions’ opening game of the World Cup in Qatar and the next two games will be crucial in deciding who will fill them.
The ex-England international, who earned 38 caps, believes the next UEFA Nations League games, which start tonight when the Three Lions take on Italy in Milan before they face Germany on Monday, will be ‘massive’ in deciding who catches the plane.
England will meet Iran on November 21 at the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, but with the World Cup falling into the middle of the European season, there is no time for warm-ups after these two intriguing matches.
Luke Shaw under pressure to keep England World Cup spot as manager Gareth Southgate has shown confidence in Harry Maguire
And yet, due to injuries and poor form, England manager Gareth Southgate has questioned the defense and midfield, who propelled his team to the Euro 2020 final just 14 months ago.
“These are very important games for Gareth Southgate, who is thinking about what his team is going to do at that World Cup,” said Carragher. Sports post. ‘No warm-up games’ [this time]so it’s a strange season.
“I think Southgate will know the seven or eight players who will start in that first game and there will be two or three positions up for grabs and it’s up to the players to grab them.
“I think the centre-back will be interesting, left-back too, and just the fact that Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw haven’t played that much football for Manchester United.
Gareth Southgate uses battles against Italy and Germany to make important decisions
“I don’t think we have great coverage as a centre-back, or we haven’t in recent years, and as a left-back Kieran Trippier has played there, who is a right-footed player, which is never easy. I think those two areas [will be interesting].’
Maguire, who established himself at Euro 2020 as John Stones’ first-choice partner, has maintained Southgate’s confidence despite his difficulties at Manchester United.
With Southgate now including the embattled centre-back in the squad, he is expected to play against him, and how Maguire has just two Premier League starts under his belt this season is likely to be crucial as competition heats up.
AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori is also in the squad after his impressive form in Italy helped his club to the Serie A title last season, in-form Spurs defender Eric Dier is back in the fold and the ever-present understudy, Conor Coady is also in good form for Everton.
Jamie Carragher believes up to four starting 11 places at the World Cup are up for grabs
At left back, United’s Luke Shaw and Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell compete against each other. Shaw has not played in the Premier League since August 13, when he became addicted to the 4-0 demolition defeat at Brentford at half-time. He has lost his place to Tyrell Malacia in Erik Ten Hag’s reset at Old Trafford, while Chilwell is still battling to recover after a cruciate ligament injury forced him to miss most of last season.
Yesterday former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson suggested neither should be picked for England’s World Cup opener but instead opting for Trippier to fill in again on the left and put Kyle Walker at the center of an interesting roster in the middle next to Stones .
Carragher believes there is also uncertainty in central midfield, where another Euro 2020 mainstay, Kalvin Phillips, has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to a long-term shoulder injury.
Declan Rice is believed to have secured a spot in midfield despite a dip in form this season
Kalvin Phillips struggles for playing time at Manchester City after a spate of injuries
Phillips and Declan Rice have looked after Southgate’s teams in recent years, but his injuries and lack of playing time at Manchester City mean he is now in a race against time to get the plane to Qatar.
Rice has suffered a dip in form after a long period of consistent excellence and Jordan Henderson is recovering from a hamstring injury but has joined the squad following Phillips’ departure. Meanwhile, a graduate of Birmingham City Academy, and ever-present Borussia Dortmund, Jude Bellingham, is doing everything in his power to establish himself at an international level.
‘Yes, we have quality in terms of that’ [Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips]Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, but you wouldn’t want to stay with Declan Rice and just Bellingham, who is clearly very inexperienced at this level,” added Carragher.
And Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse will also try to make a claim in the next two games.
Left-back Ben Chilwell tries to recover at Chelsea after a long absence
One option favored by former England, Liverpool and Real Madrid winger Steve McManaman is to forgo two holding midfielders, putting pressure on that division and Bellingham as well to enter the World Cup. decreases.
“If England are playing with five in the back, I don’t think they necessarily need two seated midfielders,” said McManaman. Sports post.
“The five in the back during the European Championship were five defenders, they weren’t three defenders and the two attackers were five defenders.
“To have five defenders and Declan Rice in the middle… I think that’s more than enough and you can put more attackers on the field.
“You would certainly expect Declan to be in midfield, Jude is a great player, he is just a young player who has yet to learn his trade.
‘Of course he has a lot of praise, you just have to be a little patient. He is a great player; he’s going to be a superstar, but I don’t like to put too much baggage on young players.
“He’s going to be great, but if Gareth wants to play five now and he’s got five defenders and Declan Rice, you might as well fill the other places with attacking midfielders and forwards.”
*Jamie Carragher and Steve McManaman spoke to Sportsmail at the Football for Change Gala 2022. The charity, chaired by Carragher, raises money to support young people in deprived areas.