Eric Dier to be used in England back three as Gareth Southgate prepares to try out World Cup master plan

Gareth Southgate is hoping to road test his World Cup master plan by looking at Eric Dier in England’s back three during the friendlies against Holland and Italy.

The Tottenham player, who could captain England again with Harry Kane out through injury and Gary Cahill dropped, has mainly been deployed as a deep-lying midfielder for his country.

But England manager Southgate, whose options at the back have been complicated by poor form, injuries and Cahill losing his Chelsea place, believes Dier could excel in a back three and free up more creativity in midfield. John Stones and Harry Maguire seem likely to retain their places, but Dier could slot into the middle of them to give England greater tactical options.

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Southgate called up Joe Gomez, Alfie Mawson and James Tarkowski alongside Stones and Maguire with Dier listed among his midfielders.

Gomez may well be given a chance to impress after doing so well in the last friendlies against Germany and Brazil. But moving Dier back is an option Southgate ideally wants to look at before  England travel to Russia, as long  as he can find the right replacement in midfield.

The manager has struggled to find the right balance in the middle of the park, with a central two of Jordan Henderson and Dier lacking creativity – particularly against teams willing to sit back.

England face Tunisia and Panama, as well as Belgium, in Group G and will need to find an effective way of breaking down opponents that are happy to get men behind the ball.

Moving Dier back would allow Southgate to try Henderson with a more creative partner, who could  potentially unlock difficult defences with their passing ability. He has Jack Wilshere, Adam Lallana Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Lewis Cook available for the Holland and Italy games.

Dier is given the freedom to step up and bolster the midfield when he plays in a back three for Spurs and his team are in possession, dropping back into a conventional defensive position when opponents have the ball.

That is something Southgate is interested to see whether or not the 24-year-old could replicate for England at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Southgate’s refusal to call up Chris Smalling for the  latest friendlies has surprised some members of his squad. Southgate questioned the Manchester United centre-back’s passing ability in  November, which provoked a withering response from the 28-year-old and left his international future in doubt.

But the fact Southgate did not  recall Smalling, despite the absences of Cahill, Phil Jones and Michael Keane, raised some eyebrows inside the England set-up.

Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was invited to train with the seniors at St George’s Park on Tuesday, but has not been promoted from Aidy Boothroyd’s Under-21 set-up at this stage.