Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier has not featured much for England at the World Cup.
England will take on Belgium in their final World Cup Group G fixture on Thursday evening.
The Three Lions have won their two group matches so far, edging past Tunisia 2-1 before hammering Panama 6-1.
Love Island World Cup: If EVERY contestant was a 2018 World Cup team
Gareth Southgate’s side have booked their place in the last-16 round of the World Cup, and the match against Belgium will determine whether or not they go through as group winners.
Former Arsenal and England international star Merson wants Southgate to include Tottenham ace Dier, who can operate as a defender or as a defensive midfielder, in the starting lineup against Belgium.
Merson wrote in The Daily Star: “It might seem strange to change a winning team, but as good as we were on Sunday, we will find out how good we really are against Belgium.
“That’s the kind of game where you need Dier. I think he should come in for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who did alright but was nothing special.
“When push comes to shove against the big boys, you need someone like Dier in there protecting the back three.”
Surprise omission
Dier is one of the best players in the Premier League and is a key figure in the current Tottenham team, but the former Sporting Lisbon star has not started England’s last two matches.
The 24-year-old – who has been on the books of Spurs since the summer of 2014 when he joined from Sporting for a transfer fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £4 million – came on as a substitute in the third minute of injury time against Tunisia and did not play at all against Panama.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
