Midfielders
Dele Alli: If England want to win as many games as possible, they will need Alli to be at the peak of his nascent powers, which is why it’s strange to see him benched for their trip to Saint-Etienne. A creative performer who likes to invoke the magic of trickery whenever he can, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has it in his locker to turn contests on their head with the flick of his boot or a shimmy of his step – or both.
Much like many of his team-mates he also has the capacity to push himself with outrageous work-rate. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s an exciting component and could prove to be the game-changer they want when the going gets tough, in spite of his youth.
Jordan Henderson: Yes, Wayne Rooney should be dropped again and again...and again. It’s idealistic to think that will happen more than just this once, but England fans can dream. Although certain sections of the media have dubbed Roo’s performances in France to date as being a ‘midfield masterclass’, it’s plain to see that he hasn’t done anything that another midfielder in the squad could have.
Henderson might have endured an injury-ravaged campaign with Liverpool, but his stability and intuitive passing in midfield is something they could do with. What’s more, he would have the discipline to sit back and let his more offensively-inclined team-mates do their work while shielding the rearguard against the better offences to come.
Eric Dier: A defensive-minded player at heart, Dier would lend a nice level of assurance (as he has done on several occasions already) to the team. In essence, he adds balance and nerve to proceedings because he has the austerity to know how to utilise the ball effectively and perceptively.
More excitingly, however, he knows how to smash home unstoppable dead balls and it's always nice to have that power in reserve. It’s no surprise he will feature against the Repre and that needs to remain the case the closer they get to the final.
Strikers
Jamie Vardy
When one has a record-breaking Premier League goalscorer on the bench (and an EPL title winner), it’s generally a good idea to bring him on. Better yet – start him. It was no surprise to see Vardy net within minutes of being introduced against Russia because he had been doing it for fund all throughout the 2015/16 season for Leicester City.
Sure, Harry Kane scored more league goals than him but the Spurs marksman looks a little burned out so Vardy could do with a run of games in his place. Vardy possesses the zest and vivacity that England need for the remainder of the competition and his talents could aid a brilliant counter-attacking system. Hodgson has seen sense to start him for the match on June 20 – will he do it again?
Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge is undoubtedly one of England’s best forwards and should get the opportunity to line out more often then he does. His devastating introduction against Chris Coleman’s Wales was a reminder to everyone of just how smashing an impact player the Liverpool goalscorer can be, and it has certainly acted as a prompt for Hodgson, too as the dancing Reds striker is expected to start against Slovakia. He is quick and knows how to exploit the tightest of spaces but it’s surely his next-level reading of the game that gives him his edge, and that might just give England their cutting sharpness as well.
Marcus Rashford
He could work equally as well in the role of an impact substitute, but it would be exhilarating to see Hodgson go all out and throw Rashford into the mix. As he’s still an unknown quantity for many defences, he could wrong-foot them dramatically in the latter stages and give his side a radical boost at the right moment.
The Manchester United starlet loves to take on defenders by running at them, and it’s exactly that unreserved play that has made him such a whirlwind success story for club and country. Will he go one better and immortalise himself as a legend who helped England win the Euros?
