The battle for England’s midfield has taken an intriguing twist over the past week — one that could bubble up nicely by the start of next season, when Gareth Southgate begins his final preparations for November’s World Cup finals in Qatar.
The trusted pairing of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips face competition from the more progressive options of Jude Bellingham and Conor Gallagher, who both took their chance to make an impression in otherwise meaningless friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast.
