Four talking points ahead of Serbia vs England | OneFootball

Four talking points as England travel to Serbia in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier this evening.

Absences equal opportunity

Thomas Tuchel said as early as March that he knew around ’16 players’ that would form part of his squad should England, as expected, seal World Cup qualification for next summer’s tournament. September’s break has required a reshuffle, however, with several certainties ruled out. Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and John Stones are all absent, leading to opportunities for those aiming to break in.

Noni Madueke produced a positive performance against Andorra in Saka’s absence, though Jarrod Bowen will hope for minutes in the same role on Tuesday night. In midfield, there’s an open battle for the most advanced role. Eberechi Eze started at the weekend, while Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White will be looking for an audition in Serbia in a position that Bellingham usually occupies.

Will Anderson earn another chance to shine?

Elliott Anderson was arguably the headline after the 2-0 win over Andorra, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder impressive on debut. After excelling in the summer for the u-21 side at the European Championship, Anderson has started the season in good form. The stats make for good reading.

In the Premier League this season, the 22-year-old leads the league for completed passes into the final third and ranks second for completed passes, successful tackles, ground duels won, ball carries, and progressive carries.

A true all-rounder, the trip to Serbia could allow Anderson another audition to become England’s number six.

Kane critics return

It feels blasphemous to criticise Harry Kane, but there were no shortage of critics after England’s laboured win over Andorra. Kane’s quiet performance has again led to question marks over his role with England, despite remaining a goalscorer of elite quality.

The 32-year-old has scored 91 goals in 100 games for Bayern Munich over the last two seasons, in addition to a record 73 in 108 caps for England. However, just nine of those goals have been scored against nations currently ranked in FIFA’s top 10.

Serbia, though down at 32nd in the FIFA rankings, will provide a stern test. Dragan Stojković’s side have conceded just once in their last six internationals, while the powerful Strahinja Pavlović and Nikola Milenkovic will make life uncomfortable for the England captain.

A tougher test for Dan Burn

Dan Burn has barely put a foot wrong in an England shirt to date. The Three Lions are yet to concede a goal with Burn on the pitch, though his three caps have come against the limited opposition of Albania and Andorra (twice).

The 33-year-old is stating a case for a World Cup place, and Tuesday’s trip to Belgrade could be an ideal acid-test. Serbia have a physically formidable frontline in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic, who will not be afraid to ruffle feathers.

Alongside a hostile atmosphere, it could tell Thomas Tuchel plenty about the late-blooming defender.

Read – The positions in Tuchel’s England side still up for grabs

See more – The biggest ever Premier League transfer spends adjusted for inflation

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