June 25th 2024.
Gareth Southgate, the manager of England's national football team, has announced that he will only be making one change to his starting lineup for tonight's crucial match against Slovenia in the Euro 2024 group stage. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who played in midfield for the previous two games, will be replaced by Chelsea's Conor Gallagher in the heart of the midfield.
Southgate has decided to resist making any other changes to the team, with Phil Foden retaining his spot on the left side of England's attack. Despite being substituted in the last game against Denmark, captain Harry Kane will also be starting as expected.
When asked about Foden's performance in the previous game, Southgate praised the versatile player's ability to play in different positions and acknowledged his threat on goal. The manager also emphasized the importance of team unity and the need for every player to contribute towards creating more scoring opportunities.
Meanwhile, Gallagher, who came off the bench in the first two matches, will finally get a chance to start and prove himself in this crucial game. Southgate also mentioned that the ethos of the team is centered around teamwork and not individual players.
In terms of the upcoming knockout stage, England could potentially face teams like the Netherlands, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belgium, Georgia, or the Czech Republic if they finish as Group C winners. If they finish as runners-up, they will face Germany, and as one of the best third-placed teams, they could potentially face Portugal.
Kieran Trippier, who has been nursing a calf injury, is expected to continue at left-back, while Luke Shaw, who has not played since February due to a hamstring injury, is still not match fit despite returning to training. The expected starting lineup for England against Slovenia includes Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier, Rice, Gallagher, Saka, Bellingham, Foden, and Kane.
Unfortunately, this means that players like Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon will have to wait for their chance to make an appearance in the Euro 2024 tournament. However, with their team already securing a spot in the knockout stage, they may have an opportunity to showcase their skills in future matches.
England was able to secure their spot in the knockout stage without even playing on Monday night, thanks to Italy's last-minute draw against Croatia. However, the team still needs to win this game against Slovenia in order to finish as group winners and avoid a potentially difficult matchup against Germany in the last 16.
If England does win, they will face the third-placed team from either Group D, E, or F in the next round. Currently, they are at the top of Group C with four points from their previous two games against Serbia and Denmark. Denmark and Serbia will also be facing each other in a crucial match at 8pm this evening.
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