England vs Czech Republic: Who should Southgate start?

Sean Fisher
21 June 2021

Harry Kane to keep his place, while Grealish and Chilwell are set to be handed their first starts of the summer.

After their 0-0 bore draw with Scotland last Friday, England are set to face Czech Republic who currently occupy the top spot in Group D following their 1-1 draw with Croatia.

A key talking point from Friday evening's game was Harry Kane's relatively anonymous performance. The Tottenham Hotspur man has failed to get going so far this summer, and was even hooked for Marcus Rashford in the second half against Scotland.

With the clash against Czech Republic vital for both sides' final position, Gareth Southgate has big decisions to make ahead of Tuesday night, although the England manager has already made it clear he intends to stick with Kane to spearhead his attack.

With Kane a definite starter, Planet Sport predicts the remainder of the side that will take to the field against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night.

Jordan Pickford

Undroppable. With Dean Henderson pulling out of the squad with an injury, Southgate will be hopeful that Pickford can remain fit and available for all of England's Euro fixtures.

Despite England's disappointing performance against Scotland, Pickford kept another clean sheet and is yet to be beaten this summer.

Kieran Trippier

After a solid display at left-back against Croatia in the opening game, Trippier's omission from the side against Scotland showed, and England lacked a set-piece specialist throughout.

With Reece James and Kyle Walker both having played in the previous two matches, it's likely that Southgate will rewind back to the World Cup 2018 side and play Trippier in his natural right-back spot.

John Stones

Nailed on. Stones has been, and will probably remain, an ever-present in this England side this summer. With Harry Maguire yet to make an appearance in the side, Stones has provided some much-needed consistency in the English defence.

Harry Maguire

Now's his time to justify his selection in the squad. After returning to training full-time this week, and being selected for the bench against Scotland, it's likely that Southgate will test Maguire's fitness against Czech Republic.

Harry Maguire has recently returned to full England training.

Despite Tyrone Mings' faultless performances in the tournament so far, Maguire needs minutes before the knockout rounds, otherwise his spot in the squad seems wasted.

Ben Chilwell

Despite Luke Shaw providing England with a rare attacking outlet last Friday, Chilwell deserves to make his first international start in a major tournament.

After an outstanding performance for Chelsea against Manchester City in the Champions League final, many thought Chilwell would pip Shaw to the starting spot.

But Southgate's surprise selection of Trippier against Croatia in the opener and then opting for Shaw against Scotland has pushed Chilwell down the left-back pecking order.

With qualification to the knockout rounds likely, handing Chilwell some invaluable experience this Tuesday could benefit England in the long run.

Declan Rice

Following a resounding performance in England's opener against Croatia, Rice struggled to replicate his success against Scotland, and had his hands full with John McGinn and Billy Gilmour all night.

But despite a relatively average performance, Rice is still Southgate's best option in the heart of the pitch, and with England looking to dominate the ball against the Czech Republic, he's a necessary figure in the side.

Kalvin Phillips

So far in Euro 2020, Phillips' performances have been night and day - his man-of-the-match performance against Croatia was quickly followed by a sub-par showing against Scotland.

With Jordan Henderson easing his way back after a long injury absence, Southgate is unlikely to roll the dice, giving the Phillips-Rice partnership one final chance.

Mason Mount

Probably England's best player in the Euros so far, and is likely to get another chance at opening his scoring account on Tuesday.

With the game struggling to build any real momentum, Mount's shot against Scotland in the first half was one of England's few chances that drew a reaction from the Wembley crowd.

Mount's tireless running and energy has been pivotal in England's attacking movement, and his ability to link midfield and attack could be vital in helping Harry Kane get off the mark.

Jack Grealish

His introduction against Scotland was well received by England fans, and despite not managing to break the deadlock, he looked more lively than any of the other forward players.

Despite the haircut, Phil Foden has failed to recreate Paul Gascoigne's Euro 96 form, and with the Manchester City starlet just one yellow card away from suspension, it might be time for Southgate to turn to the Aston Villa captain for his side's creative spark.

Raheem Sterling

As England's only goalscorer at the tournament, we predict Southgate will maintain his trust in the Manchester City winger.

Sterling's chances of a start are also bolstered by his hat-trick against the Czech Republic when the two sides met in the qualifiers.

If Sterling can even manage to perform half as well on Tuesday night as he did back in 2019, then Southgate's selection will be well and truly justified.

Should Southgate opt for Sterling, it would mean both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are yet to start a match, with the latter having failed to even register a minute in the tournament.

If England have the game wrapped up early, expect the duo to make an appearance from the bench in Sterling and Grealish's place.

Harry Kane

Another chance to get off the mark. After failing to find the net against both Croatia and Scotland, Kane doesn't look anything like the player that got the most goals and assists in this season's Premier League.

Harry Kane has failed to get going so far this summer

The Tottenham Hotspur striker ghosted through the match against Scotland, and his disappointing performance didn't go unnoticed - he was hooked for Marcus Rashford in the second half.

With many speculating that Dominic Calvert-Lewin may get a shot against the Czech Republic, Southgate has publicly announced that he intends to stick with Kane as his striker on Tuesday night.

Who could England play in the round-of-16?

England finish 1st - If England were to win on Tuesday night, they would top Group D, and would face off against the runners-up in Group F - currently Germany, but possibly France, Portugal or even Hungary.

England finish 2nd - England's current position - if they fail to beat Czech Republic on Tuesday and finish second, England will face the runners-up in Group E.

Currently, Slovakia possess the spot, but come June 28, it could end up being either Sweden, Poland or Spain.

England finish 3rd - If England are beaten on Tuesday night and fall to third via goal difference they would play either the top team in Group E - currently Sweden - or the winner of Group B - either Belgium, Russia or Finland.

Whether they play the winner of Group B or E depends on which teams qualify as the tournament's best third-placed sides.