It could mark a return to three at the back for England
Kieran Trippier is set to be recalled to the England starting lineup for the Euro 2020 final against Italy this evening.
The Telegraph reports that the Atletico Madrid full-back will come into the side at the expense of Bukayo Saka, who will drop to the bench.
If Trippier were to start for England, it would almost certainly mean Gareth Southgate reverting to the same formation that he used in the 2-0 victory over Germany, with three centre backs and Trippier and Shaw as wing-backs.
Phil Foden remains a major doubt for the final after he missed training on Saturday.
With the exception of the Germany match, Southgate has employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. In this system, Saka has been able to thrive as a winger and has moved ahead of Rashford and Sancho in the pecking order.
However it looks like he will be sacrificed for the final in favour of Trippier.
Southgate and the players have reportedly been training with different formations in recent days, with plenty of planning going into what the team on the pitch will be at the final whistle. It is thought that Jordan Henderson will come off the bench yet again, just like in the last four matches.
On Sunday morning, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham told the Andrew Marr Show that Southgate had managed to create a “band of brothers” feeling to the squad.
Bullingham told the programme: “The mood in the camp is very calm. They are aware of what a fantastic opportunity this is, they are aware of the excitement throughout the country, but the mood in the camp is calm and they are looking forward to it.
“I think one of the things that Gareth [Southgate] has managed to do, along with the support team, is build a really strong environment, there’s a fantastic ‘band of brothers’ feeling and togetherness, but there is also a really strong resilience there and they are really supportive of each other.
“He [Southgate] is genuinely calm, he’s one of the calmest people in the country. He is so well prepared and he has a good support team around him. He is in a good place.”
