Former England midfielder Paul Scholes has told Gareth Southgate to make three changes for Tuesday's game against Slovenia, including a first start of the Euros for Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo, 19, has played just four minutes of football so far in the tournament, towards the end of the victory against Serbia. However, there has been clamour for the youngster to come into midfield amid questions over the use of Trent Alexander-Arnold in a pivot.
Scholes' solution appears to be a unique one, though. He wants Alexander-Arnold shunted out to left-back, where Kieran Trippier has started the first two games, with Mainoo slotting into midfield and Cole Palmer making his tournament debut on the right wing. “Sunday AM thoughts," Scholes wrote on Instagram. "TAA left-back, Mainoo centre-mid, Palmer on the right… would give reasons but too many touchy f***ers out there. Laters.”
Chelsea talent Palmer showed some nice touches in the pre-tournament friendlies against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland but hasn't played a minute of the tournament proper. While Scholes didn't specify dropping current incumbent Bukayo Saka from the right-wing berth, his former England colleague Ashley Cole encouraged such a move for different reasons.
"I would like to see Anthony Gordon play from the left, I would like to see Foden playing on the right because I feel he’s been unfairly dug out," Cole told beIN Sports while also making the case to see more of Mainoo or Palmer . "You can still see it as a rest for Saka. I would like Foden to show the world how good he is because we know.
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"I feel he’s been unfairly criticised playing out of position. People might go well he’s a world-class player, he should be able to adapt. Fair point I understand that. But what I see of him playing for Man City I would like to see him play there."
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Paul Scholes made the case for Kobbie Mainoo on his Instagram story
Mainoo is waiting for his first start of the tournament (PA)England manager Southgate lamented the absence of a natural midfield successor to Kalvin Phillips for this tournament, but pundit and ex-England star Ian Wright made the case for Mainoo. "It's either Kobbie (Mainoo) or Wharton, but I'd probably put Wharton in there simply because he's the closest I've seen to [Spain midfielder] Fabian Ruiz," the former Arsenal striker said.
"When I've seen him in the last few games for Palace at the end of the season, his calmness. He's calm, he's got a pass. He's a very intelligent player and he's somebody that wouldn't panic in this situation. He's been picked in the squad.
"Listening to Gareth, he mentioned about Kalvin Phillips and he's the only one in the country who can play that role, I don't believe that. I believe Adam Wharton can play it. I think Kobbie Mainoo can play it as well. You've picked them. Now we're in a situation where it's not desperation because we've got four points, but we're in a place where we need something different, we need to change something."
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