England v Switzerland LIVE: Southgate plots bold line-up for Euro 2024 quarter-final

Gareth Southgate feels it is a “common-sense” decision not to suspend Jude Bellingham for his crotch-grabbing celebration against Slovakia and insisted the midfielder shows great maturity in how he reacts to his eventful life.

England manager Southgate feels the Real Madrid footballer would be a lesser player if he did not act with such emotion and believes Uefa were right not to opt for a more severe punishment.

Like too many of his international teammates, Declan Rice has not been at his very best level at Euro 2024. Too few times has he been able to surge forward in possession. He’s winning fewer duels per 90 minutes, has been successful in fewer aerial challenges and has been dispossessed more often in Germany than he did during the Premier League season with Arsenal.

Of course, there’s another difference, too, which makes the above comparisons both eye-opening and irrelevant all at once: he’s not playing the same role for England as he does for the Gunners, so why would he achieve the same things?

Indeed, that seems to be a theme this summer in the Three Lions’ camp. Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both right-back all year for their clubs, if in different ways. Neither are with England. Phil Foden is playing on the opposite flank. Ezri Konsa’s only minutes so far have come in the one back line position he doesnt play.

The all-Arsenal battle which could define this quarter-final:

The German party is over, though the party in Germany isn’t. Euro 2024 will continue without the hosts, as Julian Nagelsmann’s team go the same way as Portugal, as Italy and yes, even as Scotland, the nation they so convincingly beat on the tournament’s opening night.

Rewind all of three weeks and the verve and panache with which Germany dispatched of Steve Clarke’s side left many in awe of how their young talent – and those of rather more experience – looked set to shine on the big stage.

Jamal Musiala hummed, Florian Wirtz shone, Toni Kroos dominated, Niclas Fullkrug wowed off the bench and Nagelsmann’s side looked to have a classic blend of power, technical ability and squad depth.

They looked, in short, like potential winners.

The quarter-final match takes place on Saturday 6 July, with England’s game with Switzerland starting at 5pm BST at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.

This game will be broadcast live on BBC One and can be streamed via the iPlayer and BBC Sport website. You can find a full list of which channel is showing each match here. Coverage starts at 4pm on BBC One and the iPlayer.

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“It is always an option, obviously an option we have been hammered for, for the last two years for using,” he told the BBC, “So it’s interesting that people think it’s the way we should go now.”

Since a 3-3 draw with Germany in September 2022, Gareth Southgate has not started with a back three or back five in England’s most recent 23 games.

This included using a back four consistently throughout the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. England’s win rate is 48.5% with a back three or back five under Southgate, compared to a 60.5% win rate overall.

Switzerland strolled through against Italy with no further apparent injury concerns or bookings, with Silvan Widmer now back from a ban. Denis Zakaria still hasn’t played at the tournament as he nurses ongoing fitness issues.

Granit Xhaka had to have scans on an adductor injury, but he has been cleared to play.

The Swiss have played several different personnel throughout the tournament so far, though their 3-4-2-1-type formation has remained the same throughout. Dan Ndoye has popped up on at right-back and on both sides of the advanced midfield two, with Breel Embolo likely to lead the line and Ruben Vargas likely to start in an attacking role.

Manuel Akanji and Fabian Schar will keep their places in defence, with Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka and Michel Aebischer probably making up the rest of the midfield.

Regarding the decision, Uefa said that “said suspension is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one year starting from the date of the present decision.”

Marc Guehi is suspended meaning England’s back line will change for the first time at the tournament. Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez and Ezri Konsa are the options, with the latter possibly first in line after an appearance already, albeit as sub at left-back.

However, England may need an alteration at left-back too after Kieran Trippier went off injured in the last game, with Luke Shaw not yet considered ready for action by the head coach. Gomez or Konsa can fill in there – but Kyle Walker shifting across and Trent Alexander-Arnold playing on the right is also a consideration if Trippier doesn’t return.

There remain concerns over the best partner for Declan Rice in midfield, but it is likely that Kobbie Mainoo will start once more.

England have been working on a back three in training ahead of the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, with Kyle Walker moved to the right of centre-half and Bukayo Saka potentially playing as a left wingback. Gareth Southgate is now actively considering a formation change, in what could yet be a decisive mid-tournament switch.

The manager had been fretting about how his initial system hadn’t been working in four laboured displays so far but a number of factors have forced him to finally work on something different in the build-up to the Switzerland game.

The primary reason was a required change to the defence anyway, with Marc Guehi suspended after a second booking of the tournament in the 2-1 win over Slovakia.

England could line up with a back three against Switzerland after their previous formation of 4-2-3-1 has so far proved to be lacklustre.

Manager Gareth Southgate has been drilling the change of system in training but it remains to be seen if he switches things up for this quarter-final fixture having pointed to criticism for using the system before.

Although a mid-tournament change of formation is a radical move by him, playing with a back three is hardly uncharted territory for this England who used this formation to superb effect during the 2018 World Cup and against Germany at Euro 2020.