DANIEL STURRIDGE has been picked to lead the line for England against Scotland on Friday night, with boss Gareth Southgate taking a big gamble on the Liverpool star.
Southgate has turned to Sturridge, rather than risk last season’s Golden Boot winner Harry Kane or play skipper Wayne Rooney as a central striker again
He also had the alternative of whizkid Marcus Rashford and Jamie Vardy, but has gone for Sturridge, despite the 27-year-old not having scored in the Premier League this season.
It looks a brave decision by Southgate, who knows a bad result against the old enemy will seriously hit his chances of getting the England job full-time, with his four-game trial up against the friendly against Spain on Tuesday.
Sturridge has made just eight appearances in the top flight this campaign, half of them starts for Jurgen Klopp, and has failed to stay on for 90 minutes.
His only goals this season have come in the EFL Cup with doubles against Burton andTottenham, also scoring for the Three Lions in the 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Malta.
It appears Southgate did not want to risk Kane, who only returned to action after seven weeks out with an ankle injury at Arsenal on Sunday, scoring from the spot in the 1-1 draw.
It is understood there have been concerns about Kane’s match fitness following his showing in training with the Three Lions this week and a decision has been made not to make him start two high-intensity derbies in just days following his absence.
Skipper Rooney, dropped for the 0-0 in Slovenia, returns in the No.10 role flanked by Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana, with Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier fulfilling the more defensive needs in midfield at Wembley.
dailystar.co.uk
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