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What Gareth Southgate now plans to do with Ezri Konsa for England vs Netherlands at Euro 2024
Gareth Southgate has reportedly made a decision on what to do with Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa for England’s semi-final tie against the Netherlands.
The 26-year-old centre-back filled in for the suspended Marc Guehi on Saturday as the Three Lions beat Switzerland on penalties to book their ticket to the final four of Euro 2024, where the Dutch await England.
Konsa’s performance won plenty of plaudits, with Gary Neville and Roy Keane both pleased with what they saw from the Villa defender in Dusseldorf, as Micah Richards and Alan Shearer also hailed the former Brentford star for his performance.
And Southgate has seemingly made a decision on whether to drop Konsa or not for tonight’s game in Dortmund.
Guehi to replace Konsa in England defence to face the Netherlands
According to , Guehi will replace Konsa in the starting XI with the Crystal Palace defender now back from suspension, with the Villa star set to return to the bench despite his performance against Switzerland.
With Luke Shaw also set to remain on the bench, Southgate’s choices heading into tonight’s semi-final against the Netherlands could be met by criticisms from England supporters given how impressive the final XI looked for the Three Lions against Switzerland.
And Konsa losing out on his spot despite a top performance on Saturday will come across as a kick in the teeth for the 26-year-old defender, who impressed greatly and didn’t put a foot wrong in England’s historic Euro 2024 win.
Indeed, with Kyle Walker coming under fire for his performances this summer, replacing the Manchester City defender might have been the more optimal decision for England, who seem set to stick with the right-back against the Netherlands.
Dropping Konsa could be a big mistake for the Three Lions
The Villa defender is often regarded as one of the most underrated centre-backs in the Premier League, with Konsa playing a huge role for Unai Emery’s side in their surprise top-four finish last season.
And Southgate’s decision to drop Konsa to bring back Guehi could be something that backfires for the Three Lions, with the 26-year-old defender showing on Saturday that he can take on the best at the Euros.
Whilst Guehi has been outstanding and does deserve to be in the XI, a defender like Walker could have been sacrificed to keep Konsa in the team, especially with the Villa man more comfortable playing out on the right-hand side.