England boss Gareth Southgate tipped to bring back key man for Ukraine clash

Euro 2020: Southgate pays tribute to England’s ‘immense’ players

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Southgate has shown he has been very much his own man already this summer as he has taken an at-times pragmatic approach to his team selection during England’s run to the quarter-finals.

The England boss’s starting XI for the Round of 16 game against Germany was widely criticised before kick-off, with Southgate accused of being too defensively minded.

But the undemonstrative, but mentally-strong England boss was lauded to the heavens after his side – and his tactical tweaks – saw England claim eliminate Germany from an international tournament in the knockout stages for the first time since the 1966 World Cup final.

Against Germany Southgate selected seven defensively-minded players, with three at the back, two deep-lying wingbacks and two holding midfielders.

And former England striker-turned-BBC pundit Shearer said he expects Southgate to make further changes against Ukraine, with one of the England manager’s first-choice players from the start of the tournament tipped to return to the starting XI.

“I’m really looking forward to it, and I think Gareth will change it up again tomorrow evening,” he said during BBC Sport’s coverage of Italy’s quarter-final win over Belgium. 

“He has made changes, I think he will go back to a back four, and I think he will bring Mason Mount back in. What a night it could be.”

Fellow pundit and German legend Jurgen Klinsmann concurred, saying, “I think that everyone understands this special moment. 

“Obviously it will be a tough game, Ukraine have done tremendously well too but I think the players know that they have to grab this moment and get the job done. 

“If they stick together and play close to how they did when they played against Germany then they are going to win this game. 

“And then they go into the next round, with the home advantage, it is huge.”

Micah Richards also weighed in, and said that while people shouldn’t get ahead of themselves, it’s still fair to point out that England faces a remarkable opportunity to go all the way this summer.

“I think everyone should believe, though,” he said. 

“You go and play Ukraine, and it is not about getting excited and thinking that it’s coming home and all that.

“That’s all fun, but the players can believe. 

“If there was ever any chance of them getting to the final, why can it not be this year?”

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