Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy pick their England starting XIs to face Croatia

Amid much excitement, England get their Euro 2020 campaign underway on Sunday when they face Croatia at Wembley.

There are a plethora of selection decisions for Gareth Southgate to contend with ahead of the game, including who plays at left-back and whether Jack Grealish will start. 

Sportsmail’s former England internationals Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy name the starting lineups that they would choose. 

Gareth Southgate faces some key selection decisions including whether Jack Grealish starts

JERMAINE JENAS 

Defence: Jordan Pickford’s experience is key and he’s still the best keeper with his feet, which is so important to how England play. Kyle Walker is the best right-back in the Premier League and his experience against Perisic is vital. 

Tyrone Mings is still learning but he gives us balance and I think he’ll grow in this tournament, while Luke Shaw is solid on the left.

Jermaine Jenas feels Borussia Dortmund’s 17-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham should start

Midfield: England’s biggest concern. I want to see Declan Rice as the only sitting midfielder. This is what Croatia do. Brozovic sits, while Modric goes where he wants. I want to see Rice dictating play with Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham either side. 

Bellingham is not someone Croatia will like to face. He can get in behind you. Mount has Champions League experience, he’s adaptable, he can create but he will also press and win the ball back.

Attack: Mine will be different from Gareth’s. I want to get Jack Grealish, Harry Kane and Phil Foden in and get them flowing.

I understand that Gareth might feel he needs runners as Grealish and Foden like to come towards the midfielders. Even Harry Kane likes to drop deep these days.

I want my full-backs to be the ones getting high and wide at pace. Then we can create overloads in the midfield areas. We need a player who can soak up all the pressure and deliver. Grealish is the one to do that.

Jermaine Jenas has named his preferred England lineup for Sunday’s clash with Croatia

DANNY MURPHY 

Defence: I would go with a back four. I don’t understand the desire to switch to a back three when England have not played it since the end of last year. And the players are used to being in a four for United, City and Liverpool.

I would play Kyle Walker at right-back, he’s our best defender in that position and Croatia is the game where we will do the most defending. Tyrone Mings gives us balance and I always think he’s better against better opposition. He also has a tremendous physical presence.

According to Danny Murphy, Ben Chilwell should be preferred to Luke Shaw at left-back

Midfield: It’s a risk but I would play Jordan Henderson. For such a huge game, your first in a major tournament, against big opposition, you need your big players. Henderson is used to big games and he’s used to playing to the right of Fabinho for Liverpool.

I would like to see one holding midfielder with two in front. If you play two, that gives the players a defensive mindset. It also tells the opposition we are worried about them.

Attack: England will need pace on the counterattack, which is why I am starting with Marcus Rashford. I would start Jack Grealish in the other two group games where we are more likely to come up against a low block. 

Croatia is not a game in which England will dominate possession. So we need a release ball and Rashford or Raheem Sterling is the answer. Phil Foden is in for his ability to make things happen.

Murphy feels that England should take a risk by starting Jordan Henderson against Croatia

Danny Murphy feels that Marcus Rashford should start out wide rather than Grealish