Stuart Pearce has told Gareth Southgate to ring the changes and rest at least three England stars for Tuesday’s game against Wales.
The Three Lions need only avoid a four-goal defeat against Robert Page’s side to guarantee their place in the knockout stages, despite last night’s listless display in their 0-0 draw against USA.
With their place already virtually guaranteed in the last 16, where they will face one of Holland, Senegal or Ecuador, Pearce believes there is no need to risk three players he views as irreplacable.
The former England international told talkSPORT: ‘There’s a couple I’d like to not see play. That would be my starting point because I cannot afford for them to be injured for the knockout stages.
‘Declan Rice number one, Luke Shaw number two because he gives us natural balance on the left-hand side and he we have no natural left-foot replacement there.
‘There’s two individuals that I’m thinking to myself there’s no chance I’m playing them I’ve got to keep them safe.
‘Kane might be another one that falls into those. I don’t think it’d be bad to see someone who offers a run in behind as a change, maybe Callum Wilson or someone of that ilk like Rashford if he wants to play him down the middle to offer us some energy up front.
‘There’s three I’d make sure I wouldn’t start in any way shape or form.’
Much of the post match criticism of Southgate has centred on his reluctance to play Phil Foden who was an unused substitute and forced to watch on as England failed to muster a semblance of attacking threat in the second half.
Southgate was quizzed over Foden’s role in the squad in the post match press conference and said: ‘Obviously, whichever one of our forwards we didn’t put on if we didn’t win the game, I was going to be sitting here answering questions about why I didn’t put them on.
‘We wanted to change the wide areas, we didn’t think it was a game for Phil in the middle because he doesn’t play there for his club and defensively it was a really complicated game for the midfield three to work out.
‘That’s why we thought Hendo could help us at that moment as well as giving Jude (Bellingham) a physical rest.
‘It was a game for experience in the middle area and then it was a decision on wide players.
‘We thought Marcus’ speed would be important and Jack could carry the ball up the pitch for us, win fouls and relieve pressure on us.
‘Without a doubt we love Phil, he’s a super player. We could have gone with Phil and maybe things would have been different, but that was the choice we made on the night.’
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