Trent Alexander-Arnold Expected to Start in Midfield for England vs. Serbia
The Liverpool right back spent much of the 2023-24 season inverting into midfield and is set to start there in a double-pivot alongside Declan Rice.
Euro 2024 is set to kick off this week, with Friday’s opener pitting hosts Germany against Scotland and Liverpool left back Andy Robertson. For club teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold and England, the tournament kicks off Sunday against Serbia.
And after being given squad number eight earlier in the week by manager Gareth Southgate, Alexander-Arnold is reportedly set to start that match for England—and start it in midfield in a double-pivot alongside Arsenal holding midfielder Declan Rice.
That’s the latest news out of the England camp today as reported by The Telegraph’s Matt Law and others, and it perhaps isn’t a massive surprise given Alexander-Arnold spent much of the 2023-24 season inverting into midfield from his usual fullback position.
The Liverpool man has been arguably the top creative English player during Gareth Southgate’s time in charge of the England national team, but the national team manager has often struggled to figure out how to fit him into his starting eleven.
“We haven’t always been able to give him the football his talent deserves,” Southgate said last week. “We have always been trying to find ways [to get him into the team and I think he knows that. It is a role that he is discovering and he is hungry to learn.”
Current injury doubts for England include Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka—all three of whom will be expected to start in the attacking band in front of Alexander-Arnold and Rice and in support of striker Harry Kane if they’re fit enough.
Following Sunday’s opening match against Serbia, England are set to take on Demark on Thursday, June 20th and then round out Group C—which England will be heavily favoured to finish comfortably top of—action against Slovenia on June 25th.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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