England face Belgium at Wembley Stadium on Friday in an intriguing friendly, with much on the line. Gareth Southgate must do without injured stars Harry Kane and Harry Maguire, while Bukayo Saka and Kyle Walker have chosen not to participate.
Manchester United teenager Jarrad Branthwaite and Brentford striker Ivan Toney could make their debuts, while Jude Bellingham and Kobbie Mainoo compete for spots in the squad. The England national football team vs Belgium national football team lineups will play a crucial role in determining how these players might be utilized in the upcoming match.
England
The England national football team, commonly referred to as the Three Lions, represents their country in international association football competitions. Administered by the Football Association and competing under FIFA auspices.
Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions came within inches of ending 55 years of hurt in 2022 in the European Championship final, but came up short by just one goal. Since then, they have only become stronger, and should enter this tournament with only one aim in mind: victory!
Interim England manager Lee Carsley made some bold choices when selecting his initial squad in September, including giving opportunities to players like Angel Gomes and Noni Madueke while leaving out established names who were struggling for form. That initial lineup performed admirably against Ireland and Finland in the Nations League, though Carsley has made further adjustments ahead of this matchup.
Jack Grealish was one of the highest-profile absentees from Southgate’s Euro finals squad and will begin in central midfield alongside Manchester City playmaker Trent Alexander-Arnold and Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Chelsea defender Levi Colwill joins them, along with Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire and Everton’s Seamus Coleman who was an unused sub for Monday’s loss to Wales.
Carsley has included several promising young players in the squad, such as Newcastle’s Adam Armstrong and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson who both stand a good chance at adding international caps this season. Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart will serve as backup, with Tottenham’s Eric Dier and Leicester City’s Harry Kane set for inclusion as potential starters.
Yunus Musah and Antony Robinson, two 19-year-old London residents making their second World Cup appearances each, are two of the youngest members of the current USMNT roster. Musah could become the first teenager ever to make multiple USMNT appearances; Robinson made his first World Cup debut once before. Tyler Adams once more serves as captain; this time it will be against Wales!
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate has begun to stamp his mark on England’s national team under his guidance, choosing from an array of options including Harry Kane breaking all sorts of scoring records in Germany and Jude Bellingham impressing Real Madrid supporters, while Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins also had impressive seasons. Trent Alexander-Arnold demonstrated his midfield capabilities whilst newcomers Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton brought calmness and purposefulness into their play.
But more important than results are feelings within the squad; which have been generally positive since Ireland and Finland both recorded victories of 2-0 over England. Yet with Euro 2024 on their horizon, England must improve in a number of areas in order to be competitive on that continent.
These improvements will begin with Newcastle United’s defence, which has been solid under Lee Carsley so far. There remain, however, plenty of question marks at the back with Luke Shaw still uncertain and Kieran Trippier under threat of leaving for Stoke City in January. Joe Gomez being added as a backline utility player bodes well, as does Newcastle’s victory at Wigan on Tuesday night against West Bromwich Albion in their previous matchup in 2014.
Anthony Gordon has been given an opportunity to showcase his abilities on the left flank and provide cover on both sides of the pitch.
As well, it would be prudent to include Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke in your squad. Though not as quick or powerful, he excels in passing and creating chances for others in his team – providing an effective alternative should Kane become unavailable.
Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins should both be included in the final squad for matches against Greece and Finland, having both scored from the bench against Slovakia during a 3-2 win at Wembley Stadium – they could provide cover in case anything should happen to Harry Kane.
One area of concern for England is their lack of depth in attack, with Gareth Southgate dropping four players with combined international caps of 185 – Maguire, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford have been left out along with Curtis Jones, Jarrell Quansah and Burnley’s James Trafford – due to injuries. With Maguire and Sterling back after injury lay-offs it should provide much-needed boost but further improvements must be made for them to challenge for a place at finals.
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