Gareth Southgate might be forced into making two changes.

Gareth Southgate faces a team selection dilemma ahead of England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final with Marc Guehi and potentially Jude Bellingham unavailable.

England sneaked through to the final eight of the tournament by the slimmest of margins with a 2-1 win against Slovakia on Sunday.

Southgate’s side looked set for an early exit from Euro 2024 after putting in yet another woeful performance, but a spectacular Bellingham bicycle kick in the fifth minute of injury-time sparred their blushes and sent the tie to extra-time.

 

Harry Kane headed England into the lead less than a minute into extra-time, with the Three Lions hanging on for a famous – if undeserved – victory.

Jubilant scenes of celebration followed the full-time whistle in Gelsenkirchen, but now focus within the England camp will turn to a quarter-final duel with Switzerland on Saturday.

England will arguably go into that match as the underdogs, especially when Switzerland’s performances are taken into account.

Southgate has been reluctant to make sweeping changes to his starting line-ups in Germany, but he could be forced into making two changes to the XI that started against Slovakia.

Guehi has partnered John Stones in the central of defence in all four of England’s games so far, but he will be unavailable through suspension after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament on Sunday.

Bellingham, England’s hero at the eleventh hour, could also miss the match if UEFA decide to sanction him for the crotch-grabbing gesture he made following the Slovakia match.

Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring a goal for England against Slovakia. Image: Getty

Bellingham claimed that the gesture was “an inside-joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game.”

 

On Monday, UEFA opened an ethics and disciplinary case against Bellingham for “potential violation of the basic rules of decent conduct”.

If found guilty then the 21-year-old could face a suspension, fine or both.

It seems likely that Southgate will select Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa in place of Guehi, given that he was brought off the bench on Sunday during extra-time.

Bellingham’s absence would present Southgate with more of a headache.

 

The England boss is unlikely to change formation at this stage of the tournament, so he could simply move Phil Foden into Bellingham’s central attacking midfield role and bring in Anthony Gordon to start on the left wing.

How England could line up against Switzerland on Saturday. [Buildlineup.com]

Alternatively, Southgate could plug the Bellingham gap with Cole Palmer and leave Foden out wide.

If he decides to drop Bukayo Saka, then Foden could go central, Gordon on the left and Palmer on the right.

 

That said, if England don’t up their game against and in-form Switzerland side then Bellingham’s status will be completely irrelevant.

Predicted England XI vs Switzerland: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Konsa, Trippier; Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Foden, Gordon; Kane.