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Gareth Southgate is set to ignore calls to make wholesale changes against Slovenia as the England boss keeps faith with the majority of the team that has been heavily criticised here at Euro 2024.
The national team boss is likely to make just one change from the side that started the first two games here in Germany, with Conor Gallagher replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold the only expected alteration.
That means another start for Phil Foden, whose place in the team has been called into question in recent days.
England’s performances have left Southgate under pressure to rip up his team for the final Group C game here in Cologne – with Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer, in particular, among the players many want to see drafted into the starting XI.
But both players are again expected to start on the bench as Southgate keeps faith with the attackers that have started the tournament, with Gallagher for Alexander-Arnold, who was expected to lose his place, the only anticipated change.
England head coach Southgate has experimented with using Alexander-Arnold, who plays at right-back for Liverpool, as a central midfielder in his team’s opening two matches of the tournament.
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But Chelsea star Gallagher has come off the bench in both of England’s games so far, replacing Alexander-Arnold on those occasions, with the Stamford Bridge midfielder now expected to get his chance to start.
Elsewhere, Kieran Trippier is expected to continue at left-back despite concerns over his workload at the tournament having only returned from a calf problem on the final day of last season.
If the game allows, Southgate could look to substitute Trippier in the second half with a view to resting the 33-year-old full-back for this weekend’s last 16 tie.
Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham are set to join Foden in attack while Kyle Walker, John Stones and Marc Guehi are expected to join Trippier in defensce, with Jordan Pickford to keep his place in goal.
ENGLAND XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Rice, Gallagher; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane