England vs Scotland: Predicting who will start in Gareth Southgate's next XI

Months of national speculating and debating came to a close when Southgate named his starting XI, but discussion quickly picked back up over some surprising inclusions and omissions.

One major talking point was Southgate's decision to field Kieran Trippier at left-back - leaving Premier League Team of the Year candidate, Luke Shaw, on the bench while omitting Champions League winner, Ben Chilwell, from the squad entirely.

Further discussion stemmed from Raheem Sterling being handed a start on the left wing, which left both Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish on the bench and Jadon Sancho with no spot in the squad at all.

But both Sterling and Southgate answered their critics in style. The Manchester City winger looked sharp all match and latched onto Kalvin Phillips' through ball to net the game's only goal, and hand England their first ever win in a Euros opener.

Perhaps rather surprisingly, England got the job done, and looked good while doing it. But with a long summer ahead and Southgate likely to rotate the side, Planet Sport predicts who could start for England in their grudge match against Scotland.

Jordan Pickford

Nailed on. In a squad full of talent and versatility, Pickford is one of only a few definite starters. Despite being relatively untested in the Croatia match, Pickford looked confident in both his shot-stopping and distribution.

Kyle Walker

At times, looked like England's weakest link on the pitch. But after improvement in the second half, Walker picked out Phillips for England's goal.

With plenty of depth at right-back, you'd think Walker's performance against Croatia is enough to warrant Reece James a start. But with his experience on the international stage, and enough pace to cover for any of the England defenders, Southgate will probably opt for Walker again against Scotland.

John Stones

Certified starter. If the entire England squad was fit and ready, it's likely we'd see Stones line up alongside Harry Maguire in the heart of the defence.

It looked as though he picked up a slight injury towards the end of the match against Croatia, but until England are guaranteed to qualify from the group, it is unlikely he'll be handed a rest just yet.

Tyrone Mings

With Maguire out injured, whoever was selected as Stones' defensive partner was bound to be under the media spotlight when the squad was announced.

After two less-than-convincing performances in the pre-tournament friendlies, Mings' inclusion in the squad was understandably met with some uncertainty.

But the Aston Villa defender proved to be a solid foundation for Southgate's side on Sunday afternoon, and although he isn't perhaps first-choice when everyone's fit, his performance earned him the chance to start against Scotland this Friday.

Luke Shaw

With Shaw being named in the Premier League Team of the Year, and Ben Chilwell playing a pivotal role in Chelsea's Champions League success this season, many thought the left-back spot was going to be hotly contested between the duo.

So when Southgate named Kieran Trippier as England's left-back in the opening match, the nation's eyes understandably widened. Admittedly, the Atletico Madrid defender has had a superb season, but with an abundance of talent already at left-back, it was a shock to see him fielded in an unnatural position.

Shaw's inclusion over Chilwell in the squad this weekend was enough of a hint to suggest that he is Southgate's preferred option of the two, and for that reason we expect him to start against Scotland this Friday.

Declan Rice

Essential. Rice has quickly become England's best midfielder, and is hugely important when it comes to team balance.

With Jordan Henderson still struggling for fitness and Jude Bellingham still finding his feet at international level, Rice's inclusion in the side is certain.

Kalvin Phillips

His energy and tenacity in midfield was unmatched and proved too much to deal with for both Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic. With a physical game on the horizon against Scotland, Phillips could prove vital in England's success.

Phillips' partnership with Rice looks promising for England, and with the duo playing like that, Henderson could struggle to find a spot back in the starting lineup. Frankly, Phillips' assist for Sterling's goal was just the cherry on top of an amazing performance.

Mason Mount

We're all beginning to love him as much as Frank Lampard does. Mount has quickly emerged into one of England's guaranteed starters when fit.

His link-up play and passing was generally excellent during the Croatia match, and he's even shown his desire to work back and defend.

With the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford all itching for gametime, it's likely that Mount will be rested at some point during the tournament, but after a faultless performance this weekend, we see him retaining his spot.

Raheem Sterling

Despite his end product lacking consistency, Sterling looked bright all game and his relentless running caused Croatia problems all afternoon.

Harry Kane

The quicker he gets off the mark, the better for Southgate. Kane will be looking to set things straight and amend his miss on Friday evening.

Jack Grealish

Foden, looked like England's brightest spark in the opening minutes against Croatia, although that might have just been his hair.