According to The Athletic, England has had no shortage of important matches in recent years, but Wednesday's FIFA World Cup semi-final against Argentina is almost the most significant.

Oliver Kay

This will be an intense and chaotic match, likely going down to the wire. Will you prepare for 120 minutes? Will you try to ensure there are reliable penalty takers on the field at the end of extra time? Or will you simply field the strongest lineup and leave other issues for later?

It's hard to expect many players to play another 120 minutes in four days. Even 90 minutes might be too much for Reece James, who just returned from injury, so the key is to see where and when he can provide the most help – he played 49 minutes plus stoppage time in midfield against Norway on Saturday, which complicates matters further. Saka is a similar consideration.

Overall, I would start James at right-back. Mainoo can be a Plan B in midfield. Between Saka and Madueke on the right wing, who to choose? I'd start with the more stable Saka for about an hour; if needed, Madueke could come on as a substitute later to provide more variety.

The real danger is that as many players tire, England manager Thomas Tuchel might not have many recognized penalty takers left on the field by the end. (The often-discussed Ivan Toney solution would be even harder to implement if it's subject to other substitution restrictions.) But you can't let penalty shootout concerns overly influence your lineup. The top priority is to try to win within 90 minutes – or 120 minutes.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Stones must start. He has proven the value of experience against Mexico and Norway, and he has faced Messi more times at club level than any other English center-back option (3 times, winning 2).

It's not easy to decide who partners him at center-back, as neither Guehi nor Konsa should be dropped. You could also move Konsa back to right-back, and of course, bringing Reece James back into that position would also be very appealing. Against Norway, he looked sharper than expected after returning from injury.

It's a tough call, but overall, I'd keep Guehi at center-back, Konsa at right-back, and James on the bench. Especially if Rice needs to come off again, England might still need him to cover in midfield in a double pivot. The other positions are mostly clear, with the exception of the right wing, where I would use Saka instead of Madueke. Saka looks sharp enough to start; I still like Madueke as an impact sub later in the game to attack opponents.

Sarah Shepherd

I have two questions about this starting lineup, both related to physical condition. Ideally, if hamstrings never got injured, I'd have Reece James replace Konsa at right-back and Saka return to the right wing to replace Madueke. James played 49 minutes plus stoppage time in the quarter-final, starting in midfield and then moving to right-back in extra time, and he performed well. I would be inclined to take that risk and start him.

Saka's ability will be crucial against Argentina, and he provided a steady performance coming on as a substitute against Norway after halftime; hopefully, he's fit enough to start. Stones and Guehi faced a huge test against Haaland and his teammates, and while both had moments of lapse, I would still keep them partnered.

The remaining positions require little thought; I just hope Rice's recovery continues to progress and that his physical condition is better than it was on Saturday.

Liam Tharme

If too much attention is paid to limiting Messi, England might not be able to control Argentina. Argentina actually has clear weaknesses.

Yes, Tuchel's team has been pushed to their physical limits, but so has Argentina. Against Switzerland, just like in the Round of 16 against Cape Verde, they took the lead but didn't extend it, eventually winning with a goal late in extra time. In between, they also staged a comeback from 0-2 down against Egypt – England knows very well that such wins are very taxing physically.

The central axis of this lineup is fine. If physically fit, Rice should continue to partner Elliott-Anderson in midfield. Argentina is too strong at penetrating through the middle and breaking lines; Tuchel needs players with both running ability and ball-winning ability. To counter Argentina's left-back Nicolas Tagliafico's pressing style, I would start Saka on the right wing; for the same reason, I would use Spence at right-back because of his faster recovery speed. Konsa can be dropped, and the center-back pairing remains Guehi and Stones.

Rashford should also be considered to replace Antony Gordon. In the quarter-final, Switzerland scored their equalizer through a one-two on the left, and Rashford is technically better at such combinations. This also means Gordon can be an impact substitute in the second half, using his speed to attack Argentine defenders as they tire.

Nick Miller

Let's assume Reece James is fine, and all the "injured" players scattered on the field after beating Norway on Thursday have recovered. The center-back position is difficult to choose because there's no real reason to drop Stones, but if both Konsa and Guehi are ready, I would choose them.

I would rather have a 50% fit Saka than a 100% fit Madueke, so Saka must return to the starting lineup. The other side is slightly harder to decide: neither Antony-Gordon nor Rashford have been particularly convincing when starting, but Morgan Rogers played very well coming off the bench in the quarter-final, so I would start him, which might also help England deal with Argentina's tight midfield.

Cheris Jones

Reece James played well at right-back against Norway, but I prioritize recovery speed and the ability to exploit Argentina's wide vulnerabilities, so I'd pick Spence. As Nick said above, Stones isn't indispensable, but he also hasn't convinced me that the defense would be more stable or alert with him in it, so I'd move Konsa back to the center. Stones played 120 minutes on Saturday, and he only played 429 minutes in the entire Premier League last season, which also makes me feel he needs a bit of a rest.

Although it might make Arsenal fans looking forward to the new season a bit uncomfortable, I have to start Saka over Madueke; I was impressed with his performance on Saturday, and even if he's not fully fit yet, he's still the better option. Similarly, hopefully, the effects of Rice's illness are fading, and he's ready to take control of midfield again with Elliott-Anderson, as they will play a crucial role in cutting off supply to Messi.

I think Antony-Gordon is better suited than Rashford for both tracking back and making runs in behind, so he will continue to start. I would also continue to support Tuchel considering swapping the wingers' positions during the match, so they can cross with their strong foot if England is struggling to break down a stubborn defense.

Tim Spiers

This is certainly not easy. England's chances of beating Argentina will increase if they play faster, wider, and with a more direct tempo. Some teams in this FIFA World Cup have already troubled Scaloni's side with this approach.

However, playing fast and with high tempo requires players to be healthy and fresh. Ideally, Reece James, Rice, and Saka should all start, and they are in my starting lineup based on this, but the question is, how healthy are they right now?

Yes, it's a FIFA World Cup semi-final, and it's easy to want to throw out the strongest available eleven against Argentina, but England must be smart and rely on accurate information from players and the medical team... They cannot have another situation like Rice's against Norway, where he was running in treacle for 45 minutes on the field and had to be substituted at halftime. Because if this Argentina team – who have been tough to beat in almost three consecutive major tournaments – gets off to a good start and scores first, England's task will become much harder.

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