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John Stones says England will have no problem transitioning to a back three, with Gareth Southgate trialling the change for tomorrow’s quarter-final against Switzerland.
It was at the last European Championship three years ago that Southgate switched to a three-man defence for the 2-0 victory over Germany in the last 16. He used it again in the final versus Italy.
England have so far played with a 4-2-3-1 here in Germany but, with performances poor and centre-back Marc Guehi suspended, a change has been worked on in training this week.
If so, Stones would be the central defender charged with organising the new-look unit, and he believes it would not be as big a risk as some think.
‘We’ve done it in previous tournaments before, though,’ he said. ‘Germany, I remember, at the last Euros. Previously to that in 2018 (at the World Cup).
‘I think it’s a great thing to have in the locker, if we need to play that system. It’s something that shouldn’t be underestimated for us as a team, that we can do it so easily and seamlessly, and kind of click together.
‘We’ve got one more (training session) before the game, and hopefully we can fine-tune a few things that we have worked on over the past few days and see where it takes us.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
