England have played well in the Euro 2016 till now and sit comfortable at top of the Group B table, however they know they must get a win or a draw to confirm qualification to the knockout rounds. The Three Lions were unlucky in their first match against Russia, as a late goal denied them three points. Now English will face Slovakia in Saint-Etienne in their final group having got their Euro 2016 campaign back on track with a dramatic late win against neighbours Wales on Thursday. Hodgson has a strong squad to choose from and may decide to rotate a bit after disappointing performances by Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane till now. However he must be wary of the Slovaks, who beat Russia in the last match and have a sensational player in the form of Napoli captain Marek Hamsik. Here we look at how England could line up on Monday night.
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart
Hart is expected to keep his place in the team, even though he was guilty of the error which led to Bale opening the scoring for Wales last time around. The 29 year old goalkeeper has been England’s first choice goalkeeper for quite some time now and deserves a starting place after a string of excellent performances last season.
Defenders: Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling
Infront of Joe Hart, the same back four is expected to continue which has started both the matches till now. Kyle Walker on the right, while his fellow club mate Rose on the left. The Tottenham duo have done well so far in France, Walker in particular has been exceptional for England and is probably their best player at the Euros till now. At the centre, will be the pairing of Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill once again, both of them have been solid in the two matches but know that they must be at the top of their games to keep the Slovaks quiet.
Midfielders: Dele Alli, Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney
With qualification all but secure, Hodgson might be tempted to rest the impressive Eric Dier and give a chance to Wilshere, who loves to penetrate, find space in between the lines and is always looking for that defence-splitting pass. His partnership with Rooney will be the one to look out for. Dele Alli has struggled a bit in this tournament but has done enough to deserve one more chance. Rooney on the other hand has been incredible in his new central midfielder role and has led from the front with two perfect performances.
Attackers: Adam Lallana, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge
It’s in the attacking third that we might Hodgson making the most changes after both Sterling and Kane have disappointed in the two matches till now. Fan Favorite Vardy is expected to start up front in place of Harry Kane, the Leicester Striker has been brilliant over the past year and should be a big threat for the Slovakian defense line. Sturridge will occupy the left wing, vacated by the former Liverpool star Sterling. Lallana has shown that he can work hard for the team in the first two matches and deserves to keep his place in the team for the Monday night clash.