Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks is set for an England start.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks is set to replace Declan Rice in the England team for tonight’s game against Bulgaria.
England suffered a shock defeat away at the Czech Republic on Friday night, squandering a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 in Prague, leaving boss Gareth Southgate with plenty to consider.
Danny Rose will be replaced by Ben Chilwell, whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley and Marcus Rashford are also in contention to start in Sofia this evening.
Another player in line to play is Tottenham’s Winks, with West Ham favourite Rice seemingly set to drop out of the side for tonight’s game.
Rice missed training on Sunday with a cold, meaning it’s unlikely he will be fit to start anyway, but his poor display against the Czech Republic means Winks may have got his chance anyway.
Southgate allegedly admires Winks, and sees the £50,000-a-week Tottenham ace (Spotrac) as a big part of the England midfield moving forward.
That extra mobility Winks provides compared to Rice may be key, and the two London-based midfielders may now find that their rivalry extends further than just Tottenham versus West Ham.
It seems that there is space for one young midfielder alongside Jordan Henderson ahead of EURO 2020, with the decision between Rice and Winks for that role, offering the platform for a more creative option to play ahead of them.
Rice has been picked regularly by Southgate of late, but Winks now has a chance to shine, and put himself right in contention for that role with Henderson for the long-term.
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