Watch: England manager Gareth Southgate & Declan Rice news conference

Martin: Would Harry Maguire get in Liverpool’s
team full strength or depleted? If no, why is Gareth Southgate not trusting Joe Gomez (and
a host of others) ahead of someone who is clearly a liability an international
level?

Phil McNulty: Well it would depend on how depleted they were I suppose, Martin, but I think they would have to be very, very, very depleted. I do not think Maguire would get anywhere near a full strength Liverpool team to be frank. Nowhere near.

Southgate is firm in his conviction that Maguire is part of England’s best central defensive partnership alongside John Stones and cites the record at major tournaments to back his argument.

I am sure he will try people out against Belgium but – despite my serious doubts – I suspect he will start alongside Stones in Germany.