By Oliver Taylor
Despite starting in four of England’s six qualifying games for the 2020 Euros, recent poor form and disciplinary issues have called into question Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell’s starting place.
However, a lack of proven alternatives could force England manager Gareth Southgate to stick with Chilwell for the upcoming Euro 2020 tournament this summer.
Chilwell was left out of the squad for Leicester’s 2-1 defeat to Burnley on January 19, after missing training earlier in the week.
Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “It’s something that happens at every club, there are misdemeanours that take place.
“It’s a very important stage of the season for us and our preparation for games, and the two players missed a very important session for us. It was dealt with internally.”
Chilwell returned to Leicester’s lineup for their 4-1 victory against West Ham United on January 22.
Questions over Chilwell’s form in recent weeks have lingered, especially after a poor performance in the first half against Southampton on January 11.
Leicester went on to lose the game 2-1, particularly disappointing after their 9-0 victory against the same opponent in October.
Two alternatives for the Three Lions at left back could be Newcastle United’s Danny Rose or Manchester United’s 19-year-old starlet Brandon Williams.
Rose started at the position for England in the two qualification games to not feature Chilwell, a 4-0 victory against Bulgaria on September 7 and a 2-1 defeat to Czech Republic on October 11.
However, Rose struggled to find game time at Tottenham Hotspur after Jose Mourinho’s appointment in November. As a result, Rose has only started one game in the Premier League since his last England appearance.
Williams made his first-team debut for the Red Devils as a half-time substitute against Rochdale in the Carabao Cup in September. He has started in four of the last six games.
