Gareth Southgate has a reputation for being conservative with his team selection but the trip to minnows Malta is the ideal time to try out new ideas
If England's last two European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine were not suitable for experiments, then their next fixture against Malta certainly is. Malta are ranked 172nd in the world (England are fifth) and have only won two of their last 14 competitive games.
So what better opportunity for Gareth Southgate to try out some new ideas and innovate? And after seeing a number of his players thrive in different roles for their Premier League clubs, the time is ripe for the manager to follow the lead of Pep Guardiola, Erik ten Hag and Jurgen Klopp and see if he can get the same results from his players in their new positions.
Here, GOAL selects England's potential starting XI against Malta on Friday to make the most of the versatility shown by the likes of John Stones, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw, as well as give Eberechi Eze the opportunity to prove himself on the international stage.
Getty ImagesGK: Aaron Ramsdale
A year has passed since Ramsdale's last appearance for England, the humiliating 4-0 thrashing at home to Hungary. The goalkeeper gave a very poor performance in that game at Molineux but he has just had an exceptional campaign with Arsenal and deserves another chance.
Although Southgate has been fiercely loyal to Jordan Pickford, Ramsdale has superior technical abilities and this experimental line-up plays to his strengths, with plenty of players willing to receive short passes in the backline or break quickly from his targeted long balls.
AdvertisementGetty RCB: Kyle Walker
Walker fought his way back into the City team after a period on the fringes of the starting XI and mastered his role in the back three, despite Guardiola expressing doubts about his ability to perform in it as recently as April.
He has also played in a back three for England on numerous occasions, including in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
Getty CB: Marc Guehi
While Harry Maguire made just eight starts in the Premier League, Guehi only missed one match all season for Crystal Palace. The youngest captain in the league, the 22-year-old has shown leadership qualities and maturity as well as bags of quality on the ball.
Maguire is more experienced for England but in a game for trying out new things, Guehi is an intriguing option at the heart of the defence.
Getty ImagesLCB: Luke Shaw
Shaw has played in a back three for Manchester United and England before and excelled in the unfamiliar role of centre-back this season when his team-mates were injured.
Indeed, Ten Hag preferred Shaw over Maguire at centre-back on a number of occasions. His technical ability and positional awareness make him well-equipped to play as an inside left-back.