Raheem Sterling: The Manchester City forward is coming off the best season of his career, and looks to have improved several notches under the guidance of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The knock-on is an increased degree of relevance with the Three Lions, and he will be expected to offer support to Harry Kane upfront on Saturday. His quick feet and searing pace, allied to increased anticipation inside the penalty area, means he will pose a threat to the Super Eagles defence at Wembley if not paid proper attention to.
John Stones is at the other end of the spectrum to Sterling, having seemed to fall out of favour at Manchester City as the season progressed. However, there is no doubt that the former Everton man is a vital cog in the England machine under Gareth Southgate, especially considering how the team plays. Stones is tasked with bringing the ball out from the back three, and driving passes through the midfield line to the forward area. Considering the Super Eagles do not often press high (and are uncoordinated when they do), Stones could be influential on the day.
Jesse Lingard: The clever movement of the Manchester United youngster could pose a problem Gernot Rohr has not necessarily had to solve throughout his tenure. Lingard is a great improviser, ghosts intelligently on the blindside of defenders, and picks his moments to attack the box. His presence will greatly test the compactness and communication of the centre-backs and defensive midfielders. Allied to that is the fact that standing off him isn’t exactly an option, as he possesses an impressive shot from distance, another area in which he can pose a threat, considering the relative inexperience of Francis Uzoho between the sticks.
Danny Rose: The Tottenham full-back fell well below his usual standards at club level this past season, but brings a dynamism to his interpretation of the role that few can match. This meant he was a shoo-in when the England squad was announced. Victor Moses is the most likely candidate to play on the right, and must not leave the the right full-back (likely either Shehu Abdullahi or Tyronne Ebuehi) exposed to Rose’s pace and power on the overlap.
Dele Alli: In an alternate universe, Alli would be turning out on the side of the Super Eagles in this game. Instead, he will be one of the keys to possible victory for England. He’s another whose movement is his biggest strength, Alli will most likely be tasked with drifting out to the left to combine with Rose and overload the full-back. It is a free-ish role which he excels at, and he may well tempt the hyperactive Ogenyi Onazi out of position if tracked too far. This would effectively open up space for Sterling to further thrive, and so Rohr will have to devise a scheme which keeps the team protected in that event.
