Gary Neville names his BIZARRE much-changed England team, with Trent Alexander-Arnold kept in, Bukayo Saka left ‘not happy’, Phil Foden’s position changed and an alien role for Kyle Walker

Gary Neville has made some confusing tactical choices as he named his England starting XI for their clash with Slovenia.

The Three Lions have already qualified for the knockout stages of Euro 2024 but will aim to finish top of Group C when they face Slovenia in Cologne tonight.

Gareth Southgate will make just one change in the match. Conor Gallagher comes on for Trent Alexander-Arnold after the Liverpool right-back struggled to adapt to the experiment of playing in midfield.

Neville, like Southgate, would drop one player from the starting XI that drew 1-1 with Denmark last time out. However, instead of dropping Trent Alexander-Arnold to the bench, he would drop Kieran Trippier, who was also playing out of position at left-back.

Speaking The overlap newsletter, Neville made some drastic changes, including swapping Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, and playing Kyle Walker in an unusual position.

Neville’s team sees Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka switch to the other side of the pitch

Perhaps the biggest surprise is moving Kyle Walker to the left back position

Neville believes Southgate should continue to select Trent Alexander-Arnold, but as right-back

Neville, who struggled to select his starting line-up and decided to change his starting XI, initially had Phil Foden as central attacking midfielder alongside Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka at left-back.

Ultimately he decided to play both in wide attacking positions, as they have already done, but with Foden on the right and Saka on the left.

He said: ‘It may help to adjust the formation so that Foden is on the right and Saka on the left.

‘They also have the ability to exchange. It’s not ideal. Saka won’t be one hundred percent happy. But on balance he is a player with more directness to his game, while Foden is always keen to play on the front line.

‘Saka is left-footed, which gives you the opportunity to put the ball wide, even with a right-footed full-back. Foden is also left-footed, but he is less likely to stay off the ball.’

Neville initially selected a side with a 3-4-2-1 formation with a back three of Walker, John Stones and Marc Guehi, Alexander-Arnold and Saka as wing-backs, and a midfield combination of Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo.

Foden and Bellingham would both play centrally and behind Harry Kane.

However, Neville quizzed his squad and said: ‘Can changing one player really make a big difference? Is Kobbie Mainoo in midfield enough to change the balance?

Kieran Trippier is the only player left out of the starting XI in Neville’s squad

Kobbie Mainoo is the player brought in alongside Declan Rice, in place of Conor Gallagher

‘I also want to keep Alexander-Arnold in somehow. It seems wrong not to have such a talent in the team.

‘Southgate may have helped with that decision as Kieran Trippier may struggle to make the game against Slovenia, so Kyle Walker may have to move to left-back, with Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

‘Mainoo then provides the link in midfield. It looks like Southgate will go with Conor Gallagher today, but I think Mainoo is a better option there, narrowly edging out Adam Wharton due to his experience.

‘Everyone says Anthony Gordon should leave because he plays for Newcastle. But that means dropping Saka or Foden. And we won’t drop Foden and I can’t drop Saka: he’s been one of our best players.’

Marcel ultimately went for a selection with a back four, but with Walker on the left and Alexander-Arnold playing slightly higher on the right.

The midfield combination of Rice and Mainoo was held with Bellingham just in front, and then a right-to-left threesome of Foden, Kane and Saka.

Neville said: ‘That formation also gives Alexander-Arnold the option to either move into midfield or move outside Foden and Walker to get into a back three with Stones and Guehi if necessary. But with Saka’s pace on the left, no team will feel comfortable pushing further on that side or pressing too high.

‘It makes England much less obvious to play against and the pitch is stretched. There are opportunities everywhere. It still gets all our best players on the field. And there is balance.

‘And yet I still only have 80 percent confidence in my team. I worry. Once again I have flashbacks to 2004: we have great players, but there is no obvious way to get them all into the right area on the pitch. I’m not going to pick that team that thinks, “Gareth, this is definitely what you need to do!” Red flags are still waving.”