WITH ten days to go until the real action begins, England are up and running. It wasn’t quite the free-flowing spectacle that might have been hoped for, and a late injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold provided an unwelcome sting in the tail, but on a momentous night when supporters returned to the Riverside, Gareth Southgate’s side enjoyed a winning start to their Teesside tune-up.

Bukayo Saka’s 56th-minute strike ensured a patched-up England side saw off Austria, with the Arsenal forward claiming his first international goal as he steered home from a narrow angle in the box.

Sunday’s game with Romania should be of more relevance in terms of planning for the Euros, with the players who featured in the Europa League and Champions League finals set to be involved, but last night’s outing enabled some lesser lights to shine, with Saka stepping up successfully.

Jack Grealish also impressed in patches, although it was one of England’s more established performers who secured the win, with Jordan Pickford producing a superb second-half save that saw him fingertip Marcel Sabitzer’s strike onto the crossbar. That was Pickford at his best, although in stoppage time, the Wearsider almost blotted his copybook by clattering into Ben Godfrey, forcing Ben White to clear from his own line. It is rarely quiet with Pickford in goal.

Only three members of last night’s starting line-up could be described as guaranteed starters for England’s opening group game against Croatia – Pickford, Declan Rice and Harry Kane – with Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier, who started at left-back rather than in his usual right-back berth, holding reasonable hopes of featuring in the side providing the injury that forced the former to hobble from the field is not too severe.

Jesse Lingard will be putting his feet up at home while Gareth Southgate’s side take on Croatia, having been left out of the 26-man squad that was announced on Tuesday, so in terms of last night’s side, that really left five players under the microscope.

With Harry Maguire extremely unlikely to make the opening group game as he recovers from an ankle injury, there is a gap at centre-half that will almost certainly be filled by either Tyrone Mings or Conor Coady unless Southgate decides to risk playing Kyle Walker as one of two centre-halves. Mings and Coady played alongside each other last night, although Austria’s limited attacking threat meant it was not really an evening when either was able to showcase their talents. Mings was somewhat fortunate to avoid punishment when he body-checked Austrian striker Marco Freidl in the first half – had VAR been in operation, the incident might well have been picked up – and was substituted midway through the second half. Coady played the full 90 minutes, but was rarely extended. With Rice mopping up effectively in front of them, they will have to wait for other opportunities to show what they can do when tested.

Further forward, Saka, Grealish and Jude Bellingham found themselves attempting to forward their claims for a midfield spot in Southgate’s first-choice side, with the former emerging as the night’s biggest winner.

Not only did Saka claim his first international goal as he slid home a low finish, he also displayed energy and purpose as he marauded down the left. England are blessed with plenty of attacking options, but having started the evening as one of the fringe performers in Southgate’s squad, Saka ended it with his reputation enhanced. If nothing else, the 19-year-old has at least given his manager something to think about.

Bellingham is even younger, but while the 17-year-old might have been making his first England start last night, Southgate clearly feels he is ready to make his mark at international level after impressing in the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund last season.

He certainly didn’t look out of place, sitting alongside Rice at the base of midfield but constantly looking to break forward when the opportunity allowed. Not really a defensive midfielder in the mould of a Rice or a Jordan Henderson, Bellingham’s presence subtly alters the make-up of the England midfield. At the very least, he would be of interest against inferior opposition when Southgate could afford to take more of a risk with the balance of his side.

Grealish is more experienced than his compatriot, although the fact that last night’s start was only his fifth in an England shirt underlines just how limited his international opportunities have been to this point. Will that change this summer? He finds himself competing with the likes of Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, but is arguably the most natural dribbler in the England ranks. He spent most of last night’s first half being fouled, with Austria’s defenders interpreting the leniency of referee Lawrence Visser as an open invitation to continue chopping him down, but still helped set up a number of England’s best moments, most notably when his slide-rule pass released Harry Kane into the box on the half-hour mark for a shot that was saved.

That was one of three decent opportunities that came England’s way before the interval, none of which were taken.

Bellingham spurned the first, heading over from an unmarked position on the penalty spot, and Saka wasted the second, volleying over at the back post midway through the first half.

Lingard had the ball in the net after a corner ended up in his path, although the whistle had gone a second or so earlier for a foul by Mings, but while Saka and Grealish displayed some nice touches, there was an understandable lack of cohesion to much of England’s attacking play.

Austria, who will play alongside Holland, Ukraine and North Macedonia in Group C at the Euros, were even less threatening, although Pickford had to be alert as he left his line to smother a low shot from Christoph Baumgartner four minutes before the interval.

England broke the deadlock 11 minutes after the interval thanks to a move that started with Kane spreading an excellent pass into Lingard’s path. He laid the ball off the Grealish, and while Marcel Sabitzer denied the Aston Villa forward with an excellent sliding tackle, the ball broke invitingly for Saka, who was able to slide home from an acute angle.

England merited their advantage, although Pickford had to produce two fine moments of goalkeeping to keep his side in front.

The first spared Ben Godfrey’s blushes, with the York-born defender almost scoring an own goal with virtually his first international touch. Pickford, scampering to reach a ball that was heading behind him, hacked clear from just in front of the line. Sixty seconds later, and the Wearsider was called into action again. Sabitzer’s strike from the edge of the area was arcing into the net, only for Pickford to get his fingertips to the ball and claw it onto the crossbar.

There was a final scare for England with one minute left, but while Austrian substitute Michael Gregoritsch met Christopher Trimmel’s cross, his glanced header flashed wide of the target.