Gary Neville told Sky Sports Euro Podcast that the German players wouldn’t want to play against Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.
England are set to take on Germany in a mouth-watering last-16 Euro 2020 tie on Tuesday at Wembley.
Arsenal’s teenage talent, who was Man of the Match against the Czech’s last time out, is in with a shot at starting once again.
Neville thinks it would be ‘harsh’ if Saka wasn’t selected from the off, as he shared what the German players would be thinking of him.
“I don’t think any of us would have said ‘let’s start him in front of Foden, Grealish, Sancho or Raheem Sterling’, said Nevile.
“But he came onto the pitch (v Czech Republic) and he played without fear. He took the ball on the back foot. He ran at players. He put some intensity and urgency into the attacks.
“It would be harsh for Saka not to play on Tuesday. If you are a German centre-back in that channel or you are a German full-back.
“Who do you want to play against? Who do you not want to play against? I suspect they don’t want to play against Saka.”
Many are expecting Gareth Southgate to take a pragmatic approach against the German’s tonight and it’s something that may not go down well with supporters.
If the crowd-pleasers, such as Saka and Jack Grealish, are sat on the bench then there will be serious uproar if England end up getting knocked out.
But given the performances the duo put in last time out then surely, at the very least, one of them has to be handed a start.
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