GARY LINEKER has claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold or Kieran Trippier should start England’s last 16 clash against Senegal.
The ex-Three Lions striker believes Gareth Southgate cannot “take the risk” of key man Kyle Walker getting injured.
Lineker believes Manchester City ace Walker, 32, should be wrapped up in cotton wool for the Senegal meeting.
A win against the Africa Cup of Nations champs would send England into the quarter-finals, where current holders France are the opponents if they beat Poland.
And Lineker believes Walker is the only player who is a match for French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, 23, is the joint top scorer at the World Cup, netting three times in three games.
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For that reason, according to the BBC presenter, Southgate should not risk starting Walker against Senegal in case of injury.
Lineker declared: “Kyle Walker should not be in England’s team to play Senegal.”
Explaining his reasoning, Lineker continued: “England cannot afford for Walker to get injured because he’s probably just about the only full-back on the planet that can compete with Kylian Mbappe, and that is the French team.
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“How would you take the risk, why would you take the risk of him getting injured?”
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Walker missed the first two games of the World Cup while he continued to recover from a groin injury that has kept him sidelined since the start of October.
He then came in for the 3-0 win over Wales.
But Lineker claimed: “I don’t want to be arrogant and say we’re taking Senegal for granted because what I’m saying is given the right-backs England have, when you’ve got either Trent Alexander-[Arnold] or Kieran Tripper, two wonderful players, why risk Walker?”
Walker has been capped 71 times by England, and is appearing in his fourth major tournament for the Three Lions.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
