MIDDLE STUMPED

With doubts about Maguire and Grealish, plus his need to pair Bellingham and Foden, Southgate must now gamble in midfield and call on Trent to solve puzzle

- JOHN CROSS

GARETH SOUTHGATE knows the clock is ticking.

The England manager has to trim his Euros squad down to 26 on Saturday and there is less than a fortnight until the first group match with Serbia on Sunday, June 16.

And yet there are question marks in central defence, at left-back, in central midfield and how to shoehorn both Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden into the starting line-up.

While Jack Grealish (training, right) sweats on his place and Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw remain big injury doubts, the midfield solution is likely to come in the shape of a full-back.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will get an audition in midfield across the next two friendlies - with Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight and Iceland on Friday - in the hope that he can solve perhaps the biggest puzzle.

When Southgate picked the training squad last month, the Three Lions boss admitted it was a case of "Declan Rice and who?" with the Liverpool playmaker the most obvious solution.