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Centre-backs - Joe Gomez (RCB) and Harry Maguire (LCB)
The centre-back partnership starts with another Liverpool defender, Joe Gomez. Gomez has proven to be an able partner for Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool and is yet another young defender who has improved leaps and bounds under Jurgen Klopp, staking a claim to be one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
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The former Charlton man is a quick and strong defender who is part of one of the best defences in Europe right now. His positional awareness needs improvement, but he has the ability to recover rapidly and put in a tackle.
It is easy to forget that Gomez is just 22-years-old as he has played 123 games in his career, 99 of which are for Liverpool, including a successful Champions League final and the UEFA Super Cup win over Chelsea.
With the error-prone John Stones putting in inconsistent performances for a shaky Manchester City backline, Gomez is a brilliant option for Southgate, more so given his partnership with Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool.
Arguably England's most consistent defender, Harry Maguire has been a mainstay for Southgate in most competitive games. He was brilliant at the 2018 World Cup and is now the world's most expensive defender.
Maguire is a rock-solid defender, who is dominant aerially and is consequently a threat from corners and free-kicks. He may not have the Gomez's pace but has excellent positioning and tackling and is extremely composed with the ball at his feet.
Although Manchester United have not enjoyed their best season so far, Maguire has been one of the few stand-out performers. He would comfortably beat talented players like Tyrone Mings and Fikayo Tomori to secure the other centre-back spot.
With Gomez and Maguire, England will have the perfect combination of pace and power and will be able to dominate teams in the air as well as on the ground.
