Jamie Vardy will lead
England tonight in a big hint that
Harry Kane may start the Group G decider on the bench.
Gareth Southgate looks set to ring the changes with both England and
Belgium already through to the knockout stages.
And Vardy is to get the nod tonight despite Kane battling for the Golden Boot.
Kane has scored five goals so far including the hat-trick against Panama and leads the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to be top scorer.
But Southgate appears to be planning for the knockouts by resting his captain.
Kane could still partner Vardy in attack, but it understood the Leicester man IS playing.
Eric Dier is also set to start for England against a Belgium side expected to be heavily changed.
Gary Cahill and Danny Rose are both also expected to play tonight and Dele Alli is available again after injury.
ENGLAND WORLD CUP PERMUTATIONS
There have been suggestions Belgium would rather finish second in the group to get an easier route to the final.
The group winner will be on the same side of the draw as Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal and Uruguay, while the runner up will be up against the likes of Sweden, Switzerland and Croatia.
Southgate has always publicly insisted England will play to win the game although he has spoken about keeping the group happy.
“Eric’s back in the team and he’s very, very important to us,” he said yesterday.
Asked whether his priority is finishing first or second, he replied: “We think that we need to keep winning football matches. We want to breed a mentality that everyone in our squad wants to constantly win.
"We’ve not won a knockout game since 2006. Why we are starting to plot which would be a better venue for our semi-final is beyond me, really.
“Best to focus on tomorrow. We have no idea who, when or where we will play in the next round, but we’re pleased we’re in the next round.
"We’re building a team that everyone back home can see are passionate to play for England, want to win every time they go out, and are improving every time. I’m looking forward to seeing us play again.”
Kane has been on record to say he wants to play as he hunts down history.
"I want to continue, the form I'm in, but whatever decision the gaffer makes we'll get behind," he said.
"That's his decision, I guess, but obviously I want to play. The most important thing is always winning games, and if my goals help my team win then that's the perfect situation.
"There's a long way to go and a lot of good players just behind me [on the scoring list]. Hopefully I can just continue and take it into Thursday's game."
Former England defender Sol Campbell has called on Southgate to rest Kane until the latter stages of the match.
“I would rather him on the bench and then coming on for the last 20 minutes, half an hour," Campbell said to Sky Sports News.
"He'll be desperate to play but I think you have got to look at the bigger picture. Yes, he wants to win the Golden Boot but then you have got to save the legs.
“You don't realise, you can be buzzing, everybody can be happy and confidence is high but it is draining you.
"The mental drain on the body and the mind from these big games takes a lot out of your system so to have a little rest and then go again is all good.
“From your legs to your mental approach, I think it all factors in."
England will know their potential opponents for the last 16 before kick off with Gourp H to be decided this afternoon.
There is still a chance any of Japan, Senegal and Colombia could finish first or second, while Poland are already out.
Colombia, in third place, must beat Senegal to qualify and could top the group if Japan fail to beat Poland.
Japan need just a point to guarentee their place in the enxt round, as do Senegal.