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Men's Football Southgate left with a few questions following Nigeria victory

THE starting 11 that will take to the field to play Tunisia in England’s opening World Cup match looks all but set.

Manager Gareth Southgate can pretend that there are still a few battles left, but realistically there isn’t.

Jordan Henderson is likely to come in for Jesse Lingard, but what you saw in the 2-1 victory over Nigeria on Saturday is pretty much the team on June 18.

What was obvious against the Super Eagles was a lack of two L’s, leadership and left-footers.

Harry Kane will lead this England into battle in Russia but doesn’t scream captain material.

Despite getting on the score sheet, adding to Gary Cahill’s first-half header, the Tottenham striker was kept largely quiet.

Southgate praised his performance, pointing out that he dropped into midfield to pick up the ball and vacate space for Deli Alli and Jesse Lingard to occupy.

But a simple change of formation from Nigeria in the second half flummoxed the Three Lions, allowing Alex Iwobi to cut the deficit in half.

The England boss admitted that his side were unable to work out the opposition’s formation and you would have liked to have seen Kane take charge and try to counter Nigeria’s change in system.

The captain is the leader on the pitch and should have the authority to make subtle changes when needed.

But this just doesn’t fall on Kane’s shoulders. The rest of the side should have the experience to handle a switch from four to three at the back.

Instead, Nigeria grabbed a foothold in the game and Southgate said afterwards that the brief spell his side were on the back foot could be the difference between another few days in Russia and a plane home.

The introduction of Henderson to this side should add a bit more experience on the pitch, but the squad is made up largely of young players who will need to put their lack of major tournament experience behind them.

As for there being a dearth of left-footed players in Southgate’s 23-man squad, this isn’t a new problem for England.

However, with Ashley Young looking like the starting left wingback, the Three Lions won’t have a left-footed outfield player.

Danny Rose and Fabian Delph are predominantly left-footed but may see their playing time limited in Russia, especially the Manchester City player.

Both came on in the second half against Nigeria and added a sense of balance to the side.

Southgate said that Young being a former winger is of great benefit in England’s 3-5-2 formation, with Kieran Trippier on the other side.

However, his need to cut back onto his right foot makes him predictable.

Rose, Fulham’s Ryan Sessengnon or even Manchester United’s Luke Shaw, could all be better options further down the line.

Southgate will be hoping his side puts in a more complete performance when they play Costa Rica on Thursday in their final match before jetting off to Europe for what is hopefully a six-week stay in Russia.

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