England's 'leaked' starting XI for World Cup opener against Iran with Gareth Southgate set to name attacking side

Ex-Sheffield United player Harry Maguire is expected to start alongside former Barnsley centre-back in the heart of defence with Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw expected to be on either side of a back four in a 4-3-3 formation.

Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount are predicted to make up the midfield trio while Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling will form part of the front three with Harry Kane down the middle.

James Maddison appears a major doubt for England’s World Cup opener after missing training on the eve of the Iran clash. Maddison was the only player absent from training at England’s Al Wakrah training base on Sunday afternoon.

The 25-year-old missed the Three Lions’ previous two open training sessions on Thursday and Friday due to what the Football Association called load management.

Southgate suggested on Sunday that he would rotate his side during the group stages, revealing: "There is always some luck involved in injuries but we have to make sure we manage people correctly and make sure we minimise the difficult situations we could face. We have a lot of players in different physical moments.

"Some have played every game for the last couple of months. Some have played very few. Some are coming back from injury. So we are managing the training sessions individually for every player so they all get across the line. So we have had to push them for a couple of days, get them used to the heat.

"And then for the last couple of days come right off them so they taper for the game. We will have to continue to do that through the tournament and that is where the squad is so important. There is a slightly condensed programme in the first four days and we have to make sure we take advantage of the squad we have got."

England’s ‘leaked’ XI vs Iran: Pickford; Trippier, Maguire, Stones, Shaw; Rice, Bellingham, Mount; Saka, Sterling, Kane.