Analysis: Why Chelsea's Gary Cahill will be key for England against Italy

As England prepare for their opening World Cup game against Italy tonight, Roy Hodgson and co. will still be dissecting through the team-sheets to decide who will be in the starting XI come 11pm.

With the mantra for places still up for grabs in Hodgson’s eyes, there is little conjecture surrounding the defensive berths for England. Glen Johnson will almost certainly start at right-back, while Leighton Baines will look to gallop as he often did for Everton down the left-hand side.

At the heart of the defence is where England’s chances of claiming the three points are vital, with Jagielka and Cahill aiming to solidify their partnership even further and it is the latter who could be the difference between winning and losing.

Coming off the back of a scintillating season individually, Cahill has jumped leaps and bounds in a Chelsea shirt. Backed by Jose Mourinho to shine at the World Cup, he has adopted a swash-buckling style which is complimented by his great defensive capabilities – proven this season in the fact he helped Chelsea to fewest amount of goals conceded in the Premier League (27).

An ever-present mainstay in the heart of the Chelsea defence, Cahill made 30 appearances last season and netted one goal. Going forward he wasn’t too bad, creating seven chances and registering one assist.

However, it is at the back where he comes to life. With the enigmatic Mario Balotelli and the prolific Ciro Immobile coming up against the former Bolton man, he will need to stay discipline and assured – proving his credentials on the international stage.

Blossoming into the role as leader of the defence, he won 27 of his 44 tackles last season for Mourinho’s troops and with the tricky and electric paced Italian players in and around Cahill, he will have to recreate his 61% success rate to nullify the Italian threat.

In the blistering temperatures of Manaus, Cahill will have to keep the ball for large parts of the game as his team-mates seek shelter and attempt to regain some breath. His astute pass accuracy of 88%, misplacing just 61 passes all season, along with his fantastic footwork which has seen him complete 6/7 take ons, highlights his efficiency with the ball at his feet.

Andrea Pirlo will look to dictate play from the heart of the midfield and the gifted maestro can cause devastation with one splitting ball. While the former Milan man likes to keep the ball on the ground, he is more than capable of dissecting through with a ball over the top and that is when the Italian enters Cahill’s forte.

He won a remarkable 101 headers in the Premier League last season out of a possible 147 – evidence of his prowess in aerial duels and the highest percentage of any of England’s other centre backs. That 69% success rate means despite Balotelli’s tall stature and powerful physique, in Cahill England have a defender who is not shy of making himself a colossal presence in the air.

With the attacking threat Cesare Prandelli’s side possess, Cahill and co. will have to stand up and be counted for. With the exciting talent up-front for Hodgson’s troops, Cahill will know that if him and the rest of the England rearguard can keep Prandelli’s troops quiet going towards Hart’s goal, then they have a big chance of claiming a memorable points.