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James Garner relishing Rodri battle ahead of Spain clash

James Garner is looking forward to facing Rodri ahead of England’s UEFA Nations League clash against Spain at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Garner is in contention to make his third appearance for England after being called up following the withdrawal of Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo due to injury.

The Everton midfielder impressed Thomas Tuchel on his debut against Uruguay in March. The England manager compared him to Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde.

However, Garner was left out of the Three Lions’ World Cup squad and will now be aiming to cement his place for future call-ups.

The 25-year-old, who helped England beat Spain in the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final, is looking forward to facing Rodri.

“Spain have got the Ballon d’Or winner in their midfield [Rodri], so to play against someone like that is the ultimate test,” Garner told the Guardian.

“You want to go against the best and see how you fare.”

The former Manchester City midfielder is a key player for Spain. He played a crucial role in La Roja’s World Cup triumph and won the Golden Ball award.

England have to prevent him from dictating the tempo of the game to stand a chance of beating the world champions.

Garner’s industry could be crucial. Only Elliot Anderson has recorded more tackles per league game than him among the central midfielders in England’s camp.

Anderson is likely to start, and Garner is eager to be his partner in Tuchel’s preferred two-man central midfield pairing.

Related TopicsEngland International Football Nations League Spain

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