WHATEVER happens over the course of the next month-and-a-half, England should not find themselves short of a right-back. Faced with the difficult choice of which of his four right-sided defenders to axe from his squad for the forthcoming European Championships, Gareth Southgate decided to shelve the question entirely and select all four. As a result, the England boss has given himself the flexibility to change defensive formation if required.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the biggest beneficiary of Southgate’s decision to overload on defenders, as the Liverpool full-back would almost certainly have been the player to miss out had his manager opted to concentrate his resources elsewhere. Had UEFA not decided to increase the squad size for this summer’s tournament to 26, he would almost certainly have missed out anyway.

As it is, Alexander-Arnold finds himself battling with Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James for a place in Southgate’s starting XI for the opening group game against Croatia a week on Sunday. This week’s warm-up matches on Teesside should provide a few tactical hints, but the evidence of the last few international breaks suggests Southgate has moved away from the five-man defensive system he fielded at the last World Cup in Russia in order to play with a flat back four.

Assuming that is the case, Walker would appear to have the strongest claim on a starting spot, with Trippier probably the next in line after an excellent season in Spain with Atletico Madrid. Alexander-Arnold and James are perhaps more comfortable playing as right wing-backs in a five, so the fact they have both been included suggests that Southgate is at least still contemplating playing with five at the back in certain games. Alexander-Arnold’s inclusion gives him that flexibility, with Walker able to shuffle inside to play as one of three centre-halves, as he did in Russia. On the other flank, Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw are equally happy in either a five or a four.

As well as hinting at a desire for tactical flexibility, the other big takeaway from today’s squad announcement is that Southgate is clearly confident in the fitness of the players who reported for international duty carrying knocks.

Mason Greenwood withdrew from the squad this morning because of the injury issues that have been troubling him in the second half of the season with Manchester United, but Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson and Jack Grealish all remain in the squad after England’s medical staff assessed their fitness levels at the start of the week. None are fully fit yet, but Southgate must feel they are not far away.

Maguire is all but irreplaceable at the heart of England’s defence – take away his likely partner, John Stones, and you are left with the inexperienced duo of Tyrone Mings and Conor Coady – so Southgate will be especially relieved that he has pulled through.

Henderson is similarly influential, although the emergence of Kalvin Phillips as a viable alternative alongside Declan Rice means Southgate does not have to push the Wearsider in England’s early group games if he does not think he is ready. There is an argument that England do not need two holding midfielders against Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic anyway, but assuming he starts with a back four, Southgate will almost certainly retain his double pivot. For all that this is an England squad brimming with attacking talent, he will not be throwing caution to the wind.

Aaron Ramsdale, Ben Godfrey, Ben White, James Ward-Prowse, Jesse Lingard and Ollie Watkins were the players to join Greenwood in missing the cut, and Ward-Prowse’s omission is a further hint that Southgate is increasingly comfortable with Henderson’s fitness levels. It also highlights just how far Jude Bellingham has progressed this season in order to be selected ahead of Southampton’s set-piece specialist.

Lingard was perhaps unfortunate to be overlooked, but his inclusion would probably have meant having to omit Bukayo Saka, and Southgate clearly rates the Arsenal youngster,.