Gareth Southgate admits he has been left with some “serious decisions” after England’s encouraging World Cup preparations.
After beating Nigeria 2-1 at Wembley over the weekend, Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck goals secured the Three Lions a comfortable 2-0 win against Costa Rica on Thursday evening.
With the final warm-up friendlies out of the way and Group G opener against Tunisia edging closer, Press Association Sport’s Simon Peach takes a look at some of the decisions Southgate has to make before June 18.
Who to pick in goal?
Stones plus two?
Rose or Young to be left back on the bench?
Henderson or Dier to start?
Kane and who else is able?
Worth watching over and over and over and… ?#threelions pic.twitter.com/24YMGjlnut
— England (@England) June 8, 2018
Harry Kane is the first name on the team sheet. A proven goalscorer, cool head and England’s captain in Russia, the question is how best to complement him. Raheem Sterling heads to the World Cup off the back of an outstanding season with Manchester City, but his struggles to translate club form on the international stage are well documented. Jamie Vardy and Welbeck have proven their worth, but Rashford gave the most compelling case during the friendlies to join Kane. Playing with a freedom all too uncommon at Manchester United this term, the 20-year-old scored an outstanding opener in a man-of-the-match display against Costa Rica.
