Gareth Southgate is considering using a back three when England face Switzerland at Euro 2024.
England take on Switzerland on Saturday afternoon, live on talkSPORT, with a chance to reach the semi-final of Euro 2024 in the offing.
And after scraping past Slovakia in the last 16, Southgate is weighing up whether to ditch his current formation and start with three at the back, talkSPORT understands.
It’s understood Southgate experimented with a back three in training on Wednesday.
This means some players could play in less familiar positions with Bukayo Saka a potential starter in the left-wing back role having dropped down to left-back against Slovakia and amid constant uncertainty over Luke Shaw‘s fitness.
The Three Lions reverted to such a system against Slovakia in the second half of extra time on Sunday.
But England have not started with three at the back in a major competition since their defeat on penalties to Italy at Euro 2020, three years ago.
Switzerland also use a back-three, which has worked expertly for them so far having reached the quarter-finals of the tournament without losing a game.
That includes an impressive 2-0 win over Italy on Saturday, sending the Euro 2020 winners home and barely giving them a sniff throughout.
England were already set to make a change on Sunday with Marc Guehi suspended for the tie after picking up a yellow card against Slovakia.
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Ezri Konsa and Lewis Dunk are among the players who could replace the Crystal Palace star while a back three would see Southgate employ wing-backs with Kyle Walker likely to sit next to John Stones.
It could see Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold brought into the role, while Kieran Trippier could also play there with Bukayo Saka or Luke Shaw, if fit, on the other side.
Changing the system at this stage of the tournament would indicate that Southgate might have lost faith in his current set-up.
Having failed to register a single shot on target against Slovakia until Jude Bellingham‘s stunning equaliser, he might be right in thinking so.
Utilising a back-three has worked to England’s benefit vastly in the past, as well, as they reached their first final since 1966 three years ago at Wembley.
Doing so might also enable Southgate to pick two strikers after Ivan Toney impressed in his cameo appearance off the bench against Slovakia.
Though perhaps the likelier scenario would see Bellingham and Phil Foden sit behind Harry Kane up front as two No. 10s, finally playing both in their preferred positions.