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England fans were surprised as manager Gareth Southgate named his starting XI to face Brazil in their international friendly at Wembley on Saturday, March 24. The Three Lions face the South American giants as part of their preparation for the summer's Euro 2024 campaign.
Southgate handed debut call-ups to Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon. Of the trio of fresh faces in his squad, the manager opted to hand the Newcastle man his debut from the start against Brazil.
The Three Lions are without a number of key stars, including captain Harry Kane and high-flying Chelsea forward Cole Palmer. Arsenal star Bukayo Saka also withdrew from the squad through injury, leaving Southgate with a bit of a personnel problem.
The manager has reacted adequately to the situation of his squad, with in-form Aston Villa man Ollie Watkins starting in place of Kane in attack. Gordon also starts in the absence of Saka, making his debut for the Three Lions against Brazil.
Some England fans were left stunned by the decision of the manager to leave 18-year-old starlet Mainoo on the bench for the clash. They shared their surprise on X as one wrote:
"MAINOO BENCHED??? SACK SOUTHGATE NOW"
"Mainoo and Rashford benched. WE are not watching"
See more reactions from X below:
Mainoo has been one of the shining lights for his club this season, featuring in each of their last 16 games across all competitions. The youngster was initially invited to the U-21 national team for the first time before he was promoted to join the seniors.
England turn to Ollie Watkins for goals in friendly
England manager Gareth Southgate has placed his trust in Aston Villa ace Ollie Watkins to fill the massive shoes of captain Harry Kane against Brazil. The 30-year-old Bayern Munich man arrived in camp carrying an ankle injury and was subsequently ruled out of the Brazil match.
Meanwhile, Watkins has been producing at an elite level for Aston Villa in the Premier League this season. His contributions have helped propel the side to fourth in the standings. The 28-year-old has 16 goals and 10 assists in 29 league appearances for Villa, showing his quality in attack.
Prior to today, Watkins hasn't gotten much of a look-in with the national team due to the consistent excellence produced by Kane. The former Brentford man will be keen to add to his three goals in nine appearances for England against the mighty Selecao.
