England working on bold tactical switch for Euro 2024 quarter-final

Marc Guehi is suspended and Luke Shaw is still not fit as Gareth Southgate considers changing to a back three in defence

England face Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals (The FA via Getty Images)

England have been working on a back three in training ahead of the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, with Kyle Walker moved to the right of centre-half and Bukayo Saka potentially playing as a left wingback. Gareth Southgate is now actively considering a formation change, in what could yet be a decisive mid-tournament switch.

The manager had been fretting about how his initial system hadn't been working in four laboured displays so far but a number of factors have forced him to finally work on something different in the build-up to the Switzerland game.

The primary reason was a required change to the defence anyway, with Marc Guehi suspended after a second booking of the tournament in the 2-1 win over Slovakia.

That has compounded existing uncertainty, over the inability of the attack to click and how opposition sides have been getting at England.

Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa is set to come into the team but Southgate is conscious of putting such responsibility on him ahead of a huge match without greater protection, so is now mulling whether to just put him on the left of a three-man central line, with Walker on the right and John Stones in the middle.

Luke Shaw would be the preferred option on the left but, with the full-back’s fitness still being assessed, Saka offers another option. The choice would also give Southgate flexibility further forward, and maybe even provide a badly-needed balance to the team.

The England staff haven't yet settled on the decision, but there was extensive work on Wednesday afternoon. Such a tactical swap would also mean Southgate goes full circle, as that was the formation he used in his first tournament, in the run to 2018 World Cup semi-final.