Bukayo Saka to left-back? Ian Wright reveals how England could fit Cole Palmer into starting XI
Ian Wright has pondered if England could field Bukayo Saka at left-back in the knockout stages of Euro 2024 in a bid to squeeze Cole Palmer into the starting lineup.
There will be great clamour among fans and pundits alike for Palmer to be deployed from the first whistle in the Three Lions’ last-16 contest against as-yet unconfirmed opponents in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening, after Chelsea’s Player of the Season thrived with his first minutes of the tournament off the bench against Slovenia.
The former Manchester City forward joined fellow substitute Kobbie Mainoo as the bright point on an otherwise familiarly frustrating evening for England in Cologne, where they again flattered to deceive despite an improved second-half display sparked by their substitutes as they were held to a sub-par goalless draw.
Such a result was still enough to go through to the last 16 as Group C winners after closest challengers Denmark also drew 0-0 with Serbia in Munich, with England avoiding a last-16 showdown with Germany in Dortmund on Saturday night and also ending up in a separate half of the knockout draw than the hosts plus fellow tournament heavyweights Spain, France and Portugal.
However, England could yet end up facing the Netherlands in their first knockout tie after Ronald Koeman’s side finished behind both Austria and France in a thrilling climax to Group D earlier on Tuesday, while supporters loudly booed at full-time in Cologne as a few empty plastic beer cups appeared to be thrown in the direction of the under-fire Southgate.
Frustrated fans will now demand that both Mainoo and Palmer - who replaced Saka for the final 20 minutes - start on Sunday, while others will also want to see Anthony Gordon given more of a chance after only getting the last five minutes off the bench against Slovenia.
But fitting Palmer in could be tough as Southgate would loathe to drop the likes of an improving Phil Foden or Saka, who had a first-half goal rightly ruled out for offside against Slovenia, leading to former Arsenal and England striker Wright coming up with a potential unusual new solution for how all three could possibly be accommodated in the same team moving forward.
“I’m starting to think, I saw a stat about Kieran Trippier being our second most productive player, touches and passes,” he said in his role as a pundit for ITV.
“I’m thinking, how are we going to get Palmer into the team if that’s the case? If that’s the case, with how naturally left-sided Saka is, maybe can you put Saka in at left-back and put Palmer on the right-hand side? Simply because we need to get some balance and get some fluidity in the game.”
Meanwhile, fellow ITV pundit Gary Neville said he was positive that Manchester United youngster Mainoo would come into the midfield for England in the last 16 after his promising second-half performance in place of Conor Gallagher against Slovenia.
“I'm certain Mainoo will start in the next game,” Neville said. “He (Southgate) thought Gallagher may be the option, obviously, for the energy but I think it was quite obvious that we needed someone in there who would get us playing.
"Mainoo does that. I think (Adam) Wharton is capable of that as well. I think the more substitutes we made, the less rigid we looked.
"These are massive, massive talents, huge talents, and we really can't mishandle these talents. We really will regret it. I think Gareth will as well.
"So what I would say, ahead of Sunday, is that these lads are there staring him in the face now.
"They've come on in the second half, they've improved us enormously. They're our best technical players."
