Andros Townsend found no room for Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold as he chose a 3-4-3 set-up for England's opening game of the World Cup.
With just two months remaining until the tournament gets underway in Qatar, Gareth Southgate's final preparations come in the form of Nations League encounters with Italy on Friday and Germany next Monday. The Three Lions boss has many dilemmas to grapple with when it comes to picking his first-choice line-up.
England kick off their group-stage campaign against Iran on 21 November before facing the United States four days later and Wales on the 29th. Everton winger Townsend, who is sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, has backed Goodison Park teammate Jordan Pickford to start between the posts against Iran.
"In goal, no doubt, although the media pretend that there's better options out there, Jordan Pickford," he told talkSPORT. In front of the England No.1, Townsend picked the same three centre-backs who started against Italy in the Euro 2020 final last year.
Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and John Stones excelled throughout the tournament alongside Harry Maguire, who has been selected in Southgate's latest squad despite his lack of Premier League minutes with Manchester United this season. In the wing-back roles, Townsend opted for Chelsea pair Reece James and Ben Chilwell, although he conceded that the latter's place in the England starting XI is "up for grabs".
In midfield, the former Tottenham, Newcastle and Crystal Palace star has no doubt Declan Rice will be one member of the central partnership. There is more debate about who should partner the West Ham captain, but Townsend settled on Borussia Dortmund prodigy Jude Bellingham, whom he views as "slightly" above Chelsea's Mason Mount in the pecking order.
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A star-studded attack is spearheaded by England captain and Spurs ace Harry Kane, with Chelsea's Raheem Sterling and City's Phil Foden on the flanks. Townsend confessed it is a close call between Foden and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, who has been in brilliant creative form this season with four assists in eight appearances.
Neither Saka nor Foden - who was ruled out of the Euros final through injury - started against Italy in July last year, with Mount preferred in an attacking midfield berth. Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips was a key cog in midfield alongside Rice throughout Euro 2020 but is facing a race against time to feature at the World Cup after undergoing surgery on a shoulder issue.
The other two players who started the final but Townsend tipped to miss out on a starting role against Iran are wing-backs Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw. The former has been in fine form for Newcastle of late, whereas Shaw finds himself out of Erik ten Hag's first-choice starting XI at Old Trafford.
