Matthew Upson believes there remains a "question mark" over whether Trent Alexander-Arnold's England future lies in midfield.
That's at least in regards to Euro 2024 after the versatile Liverpool man started alongside Declan Rice en route to a tetchy 1-0 victory over the Serbs. Gareth Southgate has the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton and Conor Gallagher as more natural options in the middle of the park, but opted to field traditional right-back Alexander-Arnold in a double-pivot.
It's a tactic Southgate has promoted more commonly over the past year, even though the player has limited experience playing there for his club. And given the Three Lions were anything but their most tenacious in a narrow opening victory, Upson suggested the debate is far from settled ahead of Thursday's clash against Denmark.
"I think persisting with [the Alexander-Arnold experiment] at this stage is okay. I think he did well," the ex-West Ham and Arsenal defender told Mirror Sport (via Luckyblock.com). "There's a lot of things he does well. We know how good a player he is. It's just at the level that the amount of minutes that you he has played in that position is so tiny.
"And it's almost like you have an instinct or a second nature. Decisions that happen on the pitch; it's almost not a thought process. It's just an instinct. Players like Rice have done thousands of minutes now playing that role. Week in, week out, knows every scenario, knows that when he loses the ball there, he's got to get there. When the ball goes over his head on that angle, he fills in that hole, it's like an onboard computer.
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"And that's my only concern in that he hasn't had that exposure to that position. I think it's exciting and interesting to see where it will go with him, but we're in the very early stages of him playing those minutes. I think that's the biggest question mark as England hopefully get through the group stage."
England sit at the top of Group C after the opening round of fixtures in their pool, with Denmark dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Slovenia. That means a win in Frankfurt will guarantee a top-two finish, if not settle first place outright.
Elsewhere, Premier League-winner Upson – who earned 21 caps for his country and featured at the 2010 World Cup – gave a more positive review of one player in particular. England's attack has been rated as one of the best in Europe, but he identified one defender who has solidified his credentials after injury ruled Manchester United's Harry Maguire out of the tournament.
"I think Marc Guehi's surpassed expectations," he added. "I thought he was brilliant [against Serbia]. Really solid game. A lot of chat, especially around the defensive situation and people feeling a bit edgy about it.
"I thought he was very reassuring, calm and very put-together. No errors at all, he was competitive, physical. He had a great evening. That was a big plus point in terms of individual performance."
Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi was Upson's surprise package from the Serbia win (Ralf Ibing - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)When asked if Crystal Palace talisman Guehi had shown the signs he's ready to take over from Maguire, 31, in the long term, Upson replied: "Based on that performance, yeah. I think he's been in and around the squad now for a good period of time, coming in and out of games whenever [John] Stones or Maguire isn't available.
"I think he's built into it nicely. He's played in a couple of tricky fixtures, one away in Poland against Ukraine. A tough game, tough atmosphere, [but] he came through that. So he's had those experiences to have that confidence and perform the way he did. Big credit to him."
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