England predicted lineup vs Italy - Euro 2024 qualifier

  • England and Italy sit first and second respectively in Group C of Euro 2024 qualifying
  • The Three Lions edged out Australia in a low-key friendly last Friday
  • Gareth Southgate is expected to make a raft of changes for Tuesday's qualifier
Gareth Southgate is likely to ring the changes after Friday's friendly against Australia
Gareth Southgate is likely to ring the changes after Friday's friendly against Australia / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages
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England welcome Italy to Wembley Stadium on Tuesday evening for the first time since losing a penalty shootout against the Azzurri to decide the final of Euro 2020.

Gareth Southgate described the defeat as "incredibly painful" at the time but earned some semblance of revenge with a historic away victory against Italy in Naples last March.

England have not recorded consecutive wins against Italy since the late 1940s, when the nation's only World Cup-winning manager, Sir Alf Ramsey, was in the team.

Here's the XI Southgate may put out in search of a win which would virtually secure England's spot at the 2024 European Championships in Germany.


England predicted lineup vs Italy - Euro 2024 qualifier (4-3-3)

Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham was rested for the friendly against Australia / Visionhaus/GettyImages

GK: Jordan Pickford - Worn down by years of being called 'Piggy', Pickford's father Lee changed his last name from Pigford to spare his son the teasing.

RB: Kyle Walker - By scoring his maiden goal on his 77th cap against Ukraine, Walker had the longest wait of any male English international to find the net.

CB: John Stones - After a brief cameo against Australia, Southgate could give Stones his first start for club or country since August.

CB: Lewis Dunk - Overlooked for so many years, Brighton's chief matador in their press-baiting system under Roberto De Zerbi has started England's last two matches.

LB: Kieran Trippier - One of the few players to captain England while playing overseas, Trippier could be shoehorned into the left-back berth once again if Southgate doesn't fully trust Levi Colwill.

CM: Kalvin Phillips - After consistently being overlooked at Manchester City even in Rodri's absence, a player who relaxes by watching David Attenborough documentaries may have burned through plenty of episodes of Planet Earth recently.

CM: Declan Rice - The numbers behind Rice's start to life at Arsenal clash with what looks to have been a smooth transition - particularly out of possession; Bukayo Saka has made more tackles than the team's defensive lynchpin this season bizarrely.

CM: Jude Bellingham - "Around the pitch, I want to be an artist," Bellingham says. He has certainly lived up to that goal during his short but hugely successful time at Real Madrid.

RW: Phil Foden - Across his previous four starts for England, Foden has directly contributed to four goals (two scored and as many created).

ST: Harry Kane - The nation's skipper became the first England player to score a winning goal against the Azzurri on Italian soil since Jimmy Greaves, the man that he surpassed to become Tottenham Hotspur's all-time top scorer, in 1961.

LW: Jack Grealish - Ollie Watkins pinched a goal off Grealish against Australia but he may be given the chance to find the net himself on Tuesday - although Marcus Rashford is also a viable candidate for the left wing.


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