Since the World Cup, England have played 12 internationals and in the right-back position, Kyle Walker has started eight out of those twelve games, despite strong competition from Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier.

On the other side of defence, however, Gareth Southgate has experimented with six different left-backs in that period. It is perhaps the most difficult position on the pitch to predict who will start and could be a potential chink in the armour for the Three Lions this summer.

A lot of England’s left-back options have had a torrid time with injury. In the latest internationals, Chelsea fullback Ben Chilwell started in both friendlies against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley. However, the Chelsea man suffered an injury in the international break and is yet to play a game for Chelsea since.

Manchester United’s Luke Shaw has played just 15 games in a season that has been hampered by injury, with Shaw still on the sidelines, having been unable to play a club game since February.
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Elsewhere, Tyrick Mitchell has had an upturn in form for Crystal Palace over the past few games for new manager, Oliver Glasner, who was appointed in February this year.

Southgate is certainly prepared to include Crystal Palace players in his England squad with Marc Guéhi, Eberechi Eze and Sam Johnstone all making Southgate’s squads this season. However, an England selection for Tyrick Mitchell, which would be his first for over two years, is unlikely at this stage.

Another English left back playing regular Premier League football is Dan Burn at Newcastle. Dan Burn has come in for a lot of criticism at times this season from a section of the Newcastle supporters and often looks uncomfortable in the left-back position, particularly when up against pace.

In a recent interview for the club, the Blyth-born centre-back admitted he was more comfortable at centre-back but is happy to play that position. Burn was a practical ever present for Newcastle last season at left-back when the Magpies qualified for the Champions League with the joint lowest goals against, equalling Manchester City.

However, it has been a different story for Newcastle this season, with 56 goals leaked this season after 35 games, compared to 33 for the whole of last season’s campaign. Teams have targeted the giant defender at times and he has often struggled against quick wingers.

Elsewhere, Gareth Southgate could make a maverick choice of selecting Luton Town’s Alfie Doughty. Doughty has played in the left wing-back role for Luton this season and has contributed attackingly, registering a goal and seven assists in the league this season.

However, he has not played as part of a back four and if England were to play a back three with wingbacks this would limit their ability to field their best attacking players. Moreover, Doughty has been part of a Luton defence which has conceded nearly 80 goals in the league this season.

  • Looking at the Championship

Southgate has a history of calling up players in the past from the Championship, Mason Mount is one example,  and certainly, there have been some brilliant left-backs in the Championship this season. Leif Davis of Ipswich Town could win Ipswich’s Player of the Season in a campaign where Ipswich have defied the odds and been promoted to the Premier League.

Elsewhere, Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters is a player who has shown himself to be a level above England’s second tier this season. However, making the decision to call one of those players up when the stakes are so high is perhaps unlikely.

Unless Shaw and Chilwell can prove their fitness in the final games of the season, this may mean that England have to play an unnatural left-back in that position.

Kieran Trippier, a player who has often captained Newcastle this season and who has contributed 10 assists and one goal in his 25 games from right back, would be the obvious choice, given he has taken on the left-back role for Southgate before, most recently against Scotland and Italy in the autumn.

However, Trippier has likewise been hampered with injuries in recent months and has not featured for Newcastle since the beginning of March. He is yet to return to full training for the Magpies after suffering a recent calf injury setback.

Southgate has also played Fikayo Tomori there before but Tomori was not selected in the England squad last time out and it appears the AC Milan star is not fancied by the England boss. Likewise, another Chelsea academy graduate  Levi Colwill has played there at both U21 and full international level but has also not featured since March due to injury.

Another candidate, Manchester City’s Rico Lewis has appeared there for Gareth Southgate over the course of this season. However, Rico Lewis has barely featured for Manchester City this season and is naturally a right-back. For Lewis to start for England at left-back at a major tournament would therefore again appear to be a bold call for Southgate to make.

Overall, for Gareth Southgate, the lack of natural left-backs starting at this late stage of the season should be a cause for concern. While in many areas on the pitch the team picks itself, at left back Gareth Southgate will have to field either someone not playing in their natural position or who is short of match fitness.

Ideally, Southgate would want to be picking squad members who are playing their way into form so the lack of match-fit English left-backs who are delivering for their clubs currently will be a worry for England’s coaching staff.

One look at some of the starting players on the right for Europe’s top nations this summer will tell you that a lot of teams at the tournament have elite players on the right wing. Spain’s Lamine Yamal, France’s Ousmane Dembele, Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Portugal’s Bernardo Silva are just some of the players who could star on the right at Euro 2024.

If England are to come up against these tournament favourites, England’s left side may be one area the best teams look to exploit.