Gareth Southgate confirms Wayne Rooney captain England against Malta

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• published: 08 Oct 2016
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Gareth Southgate confirms Wayne Rooney captain England against Malta Pls Subscribe https://goo.gl/tBQ8bs Gareth Southgate has ordered his new-look England to go for goals and entertain as they prepare to kick off a new era on Saturday night. Wembley is sold out for the first of Southgate's four games in charge against Malta and he is committed to naming an attacking line-up, with captain Wayne Rooney starting in midfield. Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has been rewarded for his flying start to the season, Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge will spearhead a 4-3-3 formation and Dele Alli will start after coming off the bench in Slovakia. Manchester United pair Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard are pushing hard for starts. A decision on the duo will be made late, as will another over Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, who missed training on Friday with tonsillitis. Southgate said: 'I want an England team to be brave and excite supporters. The players want to make the country proud.' Arsene Wenger has ruled himself out of being the next England boss, saying: 'It demands a guy from your own nation as the leader.' With Rooney set to start in midfield, England's interim manager admitted the Manchester United captain's ability to control games means he may well be suited to a role in the middle of the field. 'Yes he will,' Southgate said, when asked whether Rooney would start as captain. 'I know everybody is keen to know the team early, the players are aware of the team and I'm sure the team will leak out, I know that happens, but I don't see the point of the opposition knowing our team.' When asked about Rooney's ability to play in midfield, Southgate said: 'His ability to control games, his experience, because we know it's one where we will have a lot of the ball. In the last few matches have had 40 or 30 per cent of the ball so I expect us to be controlling the game. 'We're going to need to show patience and stick to our principles of playing, maybe we can get an early goal or maybe we won't, so then it's even more important we stick to our style and be brave. 'One of the messages I've wanted to get across is that I want to see an England team who will be brave in possession of the ball and prepared to take chances and risks, even though I know they won't always succeed.' Walcott has scored five goals in eight appearances for his club this season, with Southgate pleased to be able to include in-form players in his starting XI. 'Theo will start and it's a good moment for him, he's in superb form for his club and the ideal is to have players in the squad and in the side who are playing well,' Southgate said. 'He's maturing as a player and he should be full of confidence, so everything I've seen says that's going to continue.' When asked if Southgate had a 'nasty streak', the 27-year-old laughed, before adding: 'We haven't really seen it yet! 'As long as we perform well hopefully we won't see it, but if everyone's not completely ready then that side of us will have to come out. 'It comes from the players as well. There are a lot of leaders in that dressing room and if someone's not doing something right then we won't be afraid to tell them. 'It's important that if you see something on the pitch that isn't working, you take note and try and change it yourself if you can.' Walcott is in fine form, having scored four times in his last four games for Arsenal, and is eager to keep that going in an England shirt. He said: 'I'm not going to dwell on what I've done in the past. It's all about the next game. I've set myself standards this year which I don't want to drop and I won't drop them cos that's just the frame of mind I'm in.' Southgate and the England medical team are monitoring the condition of Gary Cahill, who is a doubt due to illness, while the interim manager admitted he may look to call up a replacement for injured defender Phil Jagielka if he loses any further members of his squad. 'I have to say it's been a remarkable week injury-wise,' he said. 'Losing Adam Lallana so early in the week, on the back of Harry Kane...then Raheem Sterling, Danny Drinkwater, Nathaniel Clyne. 'Fortunately I'm used to that from dealing with the U21s. You're waiting for a game for a month then a lot of your plans are affected, so I haven't been as affected by it maybe as someone coming in from the outside. 'You get quite phlegmatic about, find a different solution. We'll monitor Gary and see how he is in the morning.'