Alan Shearer believes Manchester United defensive duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw should be starting for England in this summer's European Championship — but there is no place for Dean Henderson or Marcus Rashford.
United have several players competing for a place in Gareth Southgate's squad for the rescheduled tournament, which has been put back a year due to last summer's covid-19 lockdown.
But Shearer has only deemed Maguire and Shaw worthy of a start in his 11, picking them alongside Liverpool's Trent-Alexander Arnold and Man City star John Stones in defence. He picked a midfield trio of Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Jordan Henderson, with two City men in Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden flanking Harry Kane in attack. In goal, Shearer went for Jordan Pickford over United's rising star Henderson.
Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day in conversation with host Gary Lineker, the former Newcastle and England striker explained his selections.
He said: "I went for Pickford in goal and then obviously the back four, and there's going to be a big decision for Gareth to make in his squad in terms of the right-back position because of the quality we've got in that decision. Alexander-Arnold would be the one I would go for."
On the midfield selections, Lineker chipped in: "Henderson's not played for a long time, Alan."
Shearer added: "I know he hasn't but he's got another couple of weeks to try and prove his fitness which he'll have to do because I don't think the manager will be prepared to take too many gambles having been in that position himself before.
"Mount, as we said before the game, I think he is a guaranteed starter, as with Foden I am hoping because of the ability of those two. Harry Kane and Sterling as well."
Fellow pundit and former England left-back Ashley Cole mentioned long-time United transfer target Jadon Sancho as a possible starter for the Three Lions, given the winger's form for Borussia Dortmund at the tail-end of the Bundesliga season.
He said: "The quality of players that Gareth [Southgate] has at his disposal is unbelievable. We didn't even talk about Reece James. Could you play three at the back with Reece playing and Trent a little bit further up the pitch? Mount, Foden, Jadon Sancho too — so much quality there so it is going to be a headache but what a problem for Gareth to have."
Shearer's XI to face Croatia: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Henderson, Rice, Mount; Sterling, Kane, Foden.
