England take on Senegal in the World Cup Round of 16 this evening (7pm kick-off) and Graham Potter will have a firm eye on the match for various reasons. Of course, Potter being an Englishman himself, he will naturally be cheering on his country to progress to the next round as the Three Lions bid for their first World Cup trophy since 1966.
However, there are a host of other reasons Potter will be tuning in to watch the match as England take on Senegal for the first time ever. Unlikely, but there could be five Chelsea players on the field at one point this evening in Qatar.
Conor Gallagher, who is yet to play a single minute, is the one player who looks unlikely to feature but four other Blues stars could be on the field. Kalidou Koulibaly, who netted the dramatic winner to ensure Senegal progressed from the group stages, looks set to start for the African side. Edouard Mendy will play in goal as he looks to keep England out this evening.
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Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling were both ‘rested’ by Gareth Southgate in England’s 3-0 win over Wales earlier in the week. Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford both came in for the Three Lions and scored once and twice, respectively, to ensure the Three Lions topped the group.
So, with all of this being said, football.london has put together a list of things Potter will be keeping an eye on in England’s World Cup meeting with Senegal.
Koulibaly in big games
It’s been a mixed start for Koulibaly at Chelsea. There were huge expectations when the 31-year-old defender moved to Stamford Bridge over the summer from Napoli and he has shown glimpses of his undoubted ability.
There has, however, been times where he has looked uneasy in a Chelsea shirt and tonight will be the perfect opportunity for Potter to view how he reacts to adversity in what is set to be a really difficult challenge for Senegal against a star-studded England attacking line.
The form of Mendy
Prior to the World Cup starting, Mendy was dropped as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper with Kepa Arrizabalaga impressing in between the posts. Mendy will be hoping his World Cup campaign thus far will be enough to convince Potter to put him back into the side when the Blues take on Bournemouth later this month, but he needs to continue his form against England this evening.
Mendy is set to be tested plenty tonight if England are on it from the start. Southgate likes his team to press from the front as well and Mendy's uneasiness with the ball at his feet is surely something the Three Lions will target.
Mount turnaround
If Mount does start this evening, or even feature from the bench, Potter will be hoping the Chelsea attacker can kickstart his World Cup campaign. He did well against Iran but was still criticised by many – such is the way with Mount – but he failed to make the desired impact against USA in the second round of group fixtures.
It’s a huge night for Mount as well, who is looking to win a place in the team for the rest of the tournament. In Mount’s position, England are blessed; they have a number of top quality options as shown last time out against Wales.
Whatever happens, Chelsea will be getting multiple players back soon so they can continue their work with Potter at Cobham. The Blues return to Premier League action on December 27 as they welcome Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge.
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