Thomas Tuchel’s England side will face Uruguay in the first of two international friendlies in March. The Three Lions manager opted to go with an expansion squad for this month’s games, giving him a chance to take a closer look at some players who may be on the fringes of the squad.
Tuchel allowed several players to play in the first game due to the extra leg time. The players affected are Dean Henderson, Dan Byrne, Mark Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rodgers, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka. With that in mind, Express Sport has selected the starting XI England should target to learn the most from this summer’s World Cup.
If there’s ever a clearly defined position, it’s between the bars. Jordan Pickford is almost certain to be England’s starting goalkeeper in America, making this selection somewhat meaningless. In any case, James Trafford impressed against Manchester City in the recent Carabao Cup final and should start in this match as well.
Defense: Libramento, Stones, Tomori, Spence
Normally these games would be missed by John Stones, but his game time for City has been limited and the defender can come on for minutes. He should partner Fikayo Tomori in defence, while Tino Livramento deserves a chance to shine at right-back. At the other end, Jed Spence has been a small positive in Tottenham’s disastrous season and could put their World Cup place on the line if he impresses in this friendly.
Midfield: Wharton, Mainu, Foden
What happens if Declan Rice gets injured or suspended? That’s something Tuchel will need an answer to by the summer, and this game will be the perfect opportunity to put that to the test. Adam Wharton and Koby Mainu will provide legwork and energy in both boxes, giving Phil Foden his last chance in the number 10 role. He has fallen far down the table and faces an uphill battle to impress Tuchel ahead of the summer tournament.
Attack: Maduke, Rashford, Gordon
Like Rice, how will Tuchel deal with the absence of Harry Kane in the starting XI? At the last Euros, manager Gareth Southgate used Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, but neither were in the squad. There are several options available to Tuchel, including centre-forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon. Whichever functions up front, the other can break in from the left, with Noni Maduke a perfect replacement for Bukayo Saka on the right. Overall, this represents nine changes from England’s previous match against Albania in November.
