Montenegro vs England: Gareth Southgate's Best Available Three Lions Lineup
England travel to Montenegro on Monday for their second Euro 2020 qualifier on the back of a convincing win over the Czech Republic.
In the build up to that game, Gareth Southgate had a number of players withdraw from the squad through injury which left him with a smaller group than anticipated. This may result in Southgate rotating his side and bringing in some fresh faces for the clash against Montenegro.
Here's a look at how the Three Lions could lineup for Monday evening's match.
Goalkeepers and Defenders
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Tom Heaton (GK) - Burnley stopper Tom Heaton has put in some stellar performances since his return from injury in December which coincided with Burnley's upturn in results. Southgate may look to pick Heaton to reward him for this great run of form and so that he can have a look at England's other goalkeeping options outside of Jordan Pickford.
Kieran Trippier (RB) - Trippier was one of England's standout performers from last year's World Cup and scored a fabulous free-kick in the semi-final defeat to Croatia. He has had a sub-par season so far for Tottenham Hotspur but clearly has the trust of the England manager and will be hoping to repay this with a good performance against Montenegro.
Harry Maguire (CB) - Maguire can expect to retain his place at the heart of the England defence and Southgate will hope the Leicester City man will use his experience to marshal the English defensive unit.
James Tarkowski (CB) - Burnley centre-back Tarkowski will be hoping to add to his two caps in this international period and can feel confident of selection against Montenegro as Southgate will look to experiment slightly and avoid his players becoming too tired.
Danny Rose (LB) - Like Spurs teammate Trippier, Rose has had an inconsistent season so far for his club side. Yet, on his day, Rose can be a potent attacking force which Southgate will be looking for against a Montenegro side which will be defensively organised and will be happy to allow England to have much of the possession.
Midfielders
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James Ward-Prowse (CM) - When the national squad was originally announced, Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse could have felt aggrieved that his recent form for his club hadn't been reward by a call-up to the senior side. Yet, following a number of withdrawals, Ward-Prowse got the call and will be hoping to repay Southgate for his faith in him with a good performance.
Declan Rice (CM) - There is plenty of hype surrounding the young West Ham United player, not just because of his high profile switch from the Republic of Ireland to England. He has been a standout performer for Manuel Pellegrini's side and Southgate will be hoping that his belief in the player isn't misplaced and that he is rewarded with a strong performance against Montenegro.
Jordan Henderson (CM) - The Liverpool captain will provide the experience in midfield, and Southgate will look to him to be a calming influence on the younger players on the pitch. A tidy operator, he will be expected to use his passing ability to dissect the Montenegrin defence.
Forwards
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Raheem Sterling (RW) - Sterling will be told to utilise his raw pace, terrorise the opposition defence and to find the pockets of space that could provide the breakthrough. His link-up with Harry Kane will be key and he will probably be targeted for some rough treatment by the Montenegro defence.
Harry Kane (ST) - If fit, the Spurs striker starts. His sheer presence unnerves the best of defences and his ability to score from pretty much nothing will be vital in a game where chances may be few and far between.
Jadon Sancho (LW) - Borussia Dortmund's exciting youngster will hope to have another good performance in an England shirt in the absence of Marcus Rashford. If he continues to play like this he could well keep the Manchester United man out of the team, and the competition between Sancho and Rashford will be an exciting battle to watch in the future.
