TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD is in pole position to start in Gareth Southgate’s midfield in England’s European Championship opener against Serbia, according to reports.
There has been much debate surrounding third place in the middle of the park, with Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham certainties for Sunday’s clash.
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Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton were considered options.
Some also called for Bellingham to play deeper, freeing up Phil Foden to move from the left into the 10 position.
But according to The telegraphLiverpool’s Alexander-Arnold is the favorite to start the tournament alongside Southgate.
After moving from right-back to midfield, he impressed for his country in their 3-0 win over Bosnia last week.
Alexander-Arnold, who was given the number 8 shirt at the Euros, scored a superb volley to round off a talented display in which his impressive range of passing was front and centre.
He also came off the bench in Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Iceland, taking his cap count to 25.
A source told The Telegraph: “A lot can change, obviously, but Trent was given the number 8 shirt for a reason.”
England flew to Germany from Birmingham airport on Monday, six days before the start of a campaign they hope to last until July 14.
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Gareth Southgate will take the handbrake off at Euro 2024… because he has no choice
By Charlie Wyett
GARETH SOUTHGATE will have no choice but to take the handbrake off his England squad at Euro 2024.
The defensive crisis plaguing the Three Lions means that Germany’s only option, within reason, will be a direct attack.
Southgate has often been criticized for his safety-first approach – even though he points out that one has to go back to Walter Winterbottom’s teams of the 1950s to find an England manager with a better goalscoring record.
But with crock Harry Maguire left out, Luke Shaw not fit enough to start the tournament and John Stones having made just 12 Premier League appearances this season, this is not a defense you would bet your life on.
The last time England played a major tournament in Germany – the 2006 World Cup – the four defenders selected were Sol Campbell (68 caps), Rio Ferdinand (47), Jamie Carragher (25) and John Terry (24).
This time, when England depart on Monday, the quartet will be Lewis Dunk (six), Joe Gomez (14), Marc Guehi (ten) and Ezri Konsa (three).
That makes Southgate’s decision not to call up 49-cap Eric Dier to his provisional squad all the more strange – especially considering his strong end to the season at Bayern Munich.
The elder statesman in their defense – and the one who absolutely needs to stay fit – is Stones, with 71 caps.
And it is understood that Southgate will keep a close eye on a number of his players as they begin training due to fitness issues.
John Stones, Bukayo Saka, Foden, Bellingham and Luke Shaw are all carrying various issues.
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Stones was substituted at half-time in the defeat to Iceland, while Saka is yet to recover from a groin injury suffered towards the end of the Premier League season.
Foden and Bellingham are also being monitored, while Shaw is close to returning to the squad but is unlikely to be ready for the Serbia game.
That likely means Kieran Trippier will start at left-back in his Euro debut before facing Denmark on June 20 and Slovenia five days later.
England’s base for the Euros is the luxurious Weimarer Land Golf Hotel and Spa in central Germany.
The FA bought the 350-acre resort – including a Wembley-quality training ground and three golf courses – in an £800,000 deal in November.
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What Southgate said about sacked England stars
WHAT Gareth Southgate said about his sacked England stars after confirming his 26-man England squad for Euro 2024.
Harry Maguire
“The decision about Harry [Maguire] It’s completely about your physical condition and your recovery from the injury. There is no other reason, as he is one of our strongest central defenders.
“Harry has made some progress, but it has been difficult and we wouldn’t have had him in the group stage. There were many obstacles to overcome without knowing where we could get to.
“Knowing that we don’t have a clean bill of health in the rest of the defense, we need players who are fit and ready to play from the start.
“It was a very difficult decision, you know how I feel about Harry, what he did for England and for me as a manager.”
Jack Grealish
“I just had a very difficult conversation with a guy who is devastated.
“I think his world was a child. “It certainly doesn’t get any easier.
“You put yourself in the shoes of a player, a father. You understand that for these players this is a devastating time.
“We knew we had some really tough days ahead.”
James Madison
“Madders [Maddison] and Jack [Grealish] It would also have given us something different and they were difficult decisions.
“These are calls that we have repeated over and over again as a group of employees to try to be fair and try to use the right reasoning.
“We support our decisions, but recognize that we could have followed a different path. The boys are great characters, fabulous teammates and great guys to work with.
“It’s sad to have to break this news to them.”
Jarrad Branthwaite
“It’s a little early for Jarrad [Branthwaite]. He had a fabulous season, it was good to get him on the field that night.
“But of course, in an ideal world, we would like to have that left-handed balance. For him to be ahead of the others, I don’t think it would have been the right decision at this stage.”
Jarell Quansah
“Jarell Quansah stayed with us. He hasn’t had the experience of an England international at Wembley. It will be great for him to be with us in the game.
“I hope we don’t have to call anyone else.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
