- Alan Shearer picks his England XI to face Croatia
- He has selected two Man City players
- Two others have missed out on the team
Alan Shearer would like to see two Manchester City players start against Croatia when the nations do battle on Wednesday.
England’s World Cup campaign begins soon, with plenty of drama unfolding already before a ball has been kicked.
Thomas Tuchel’s squad announcement brought about a lot of controversy, and since then there has been plenty going on, including equipment being stolen from their Kansas city base.
However, the focus tomorrow should be solely about the football, as the Three Lions look to get off to a winning start.
Alan Shearer selects his starting lineup
Ex-England international has chosen the team he would like to see start against Croatia, and two Man City stars have made the cut.
Nico O’Reilly has been selected as England’s left-back, starting ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence.
Additionally, the former Blackburn and Newcastle man reckons Marc Guehi deserves his spot in the first 11.
Alan Shearer picks his England XI for their tournament opener against Croatia on Wednesday 📋
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 15, 2026
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Two Man City players miss out
John Stones has not been named in Shearer’s starting lineup, even though he is expected to play in the actual match.
It does make sense that Shearer prefers Guehi though, as he has been playing on a weekly basis for Man City, while Stones occupied the bench.
James Trafford falls short to Jordan Pickford too, but this is not at all surprising. After all, the Everton shot-stopper has been England’s first choice goalkeeper for some time.
Which Man City players have already been in action?
Some Citizens have already begun their World Cup campaigns, including Rodri, who captained Spain in a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.
Later that same day, Jeremy Doku’s Belgium took on an Egypt side featuring Omar Marmoush. That match also ended in a draw.
So with plenty of their teammates failing to claim three points with their respective teams, the English Sky Blue stars will be looking to get a win on Wednesday night.
