Preview: Belgium vs. England
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Team News
England were forced to finish the Croatia game with 10 men as Trippier limped off in the closing stages of extra time with a groin injury which is also expected to keep him out of Saturday’s game.
Trippier is one of a number of walking wounded likely to be left out at the weekend, with Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson also needing to come off against Croatia.
All 23 of the squad members will remain in Russia until the team fly out on Sunday, but Southgate is likely to make a lot of changes in order to hand some of his fringe players a further taste of the World Cup.
The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Danny Welbeck will be hopeful of a runout, while there could also be starts for Jamie Vardy and either Jack Butland or Nick Pope in goal.
Six-goal Harry Kane look exhausted for much of the match against Croatia and Southgate has a decision to make with the Tottenham Hotspur striker, who will no doubt be desperate to play again in a bid to wrap up the Golden Boot – a race he currently leads by two goals.
Belgium’s Lukaku – who is on four goals – looks like the only serious threat to that crown, but he too could be rested if Martinez decides to ring the changes as he did in the group game between the two sides.
The semi-final with France was not quite as attritional as England’s, but Martinez could choose to hand some fringe players a chance as well.
Should that be the case then Adnan Januzaj – who scored the only goal of the game when the two sides met earlier in the tournament – could be in line for a start, as could the likes of Dries Mertens, Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Vermaelen.
Full-back Thomas Meunier is back available for the Red Devils, though, having missed the semi-final through suspension.
Belgium possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Boyata; Meunier, Fellaini, Witsel, De Bruyne; Mertens, Batshuayi, Carrasco
England possible starting lineup:
Butland; Jones, Cahill, Maguire; Alexander-Arnold, Dier, Delph, Rose; Loftus-Cheek, Lingard; Vardy
Head To Head
Belgium’s victory in the group stages of this year’s competition was only their second ever win inside normal time in 22 previous meetings with England, and their first at a World Cup.
The past two World Cup showdowns prior to this summer came in 1954 and 1990, playing out a 4-4 thriller in the former before David Platt‘s last-gasp acrobatic winner handed England a 1-0 extra-time victory in the latter.
Overall England have won 15 of the 22 meetings, but the two sides have only met twice since the turn of the century.
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