Who will be England's starting right-back at the Qatar World Cup?

As well as that infamous penalty miss at Euro 96 and his penchant for a waistcoat, one of the defining features of Gareth Southgate's England career has been his alleged obsession with right-backs.

Southgate was mocked for his decision to include four players in the right-back position in the England squad for Euro 2020 but the former Middlesbrough boss had the last word as England reached the final at Wembley and there is no denying it has been an area of the pitch brimming with quality for the Three Lions.

But as the World Cup in Qatar edges closer, Southgate's options on the right side of defence look more limited after an injury sustained by Chelsea's Reece James - the potential first choice - delivered a massive blow in the build-up to the tournament.

It now looks like a direct battle between steady and reliable Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier and Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold to start in the position in England's opening World Cup group game against Iran on November 21.

Much will of course depend on the system Southgate opts for in that opening match - he has alternated between a back three, four and five during his England tenure.

And the odds suggest it is not much of a competition with Trippier a best-priced 1-5 to start against Iran and Alexander-Arnold as big as 9-4.

But those prices are also influenced by the fact that Trippier often plays at left-back for the Three Lions, whereas Alexander-Arnold operates solely on the right.

Despite being a nailed-on starter for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has struggled to establish himself in the England set-up and, although he is 1-4 to make the final squad for the World Cup, his performances this season have been largely unconvincing.

Against Manchester United and Arsenal in particular - both teams who offered wide attacking threats against Liverpool - Alexander-Arnold came under fire for being caught out of position and for his generally poor defending.

Speaking after the Arsenal game, Jamie O'Hara described the Liverpool defender as "League One defensively but Champions League going forward".

It may have been a tongue-in-cheek comment from the former Spurs midfielder but it summed up the problem with Alexander-Arnold's game - his eye for a pass and quality going forward is unparalleled but at the back he makes too many errors.

Perhaps that means he would be suited to a game against Iran, who are likely to defend deep and should not cause England too many problems in attack.

Alternatively, some may call for Alexander-Arnold to be deployed in a midfield role given his great passing range and ability but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been reluctant to do that and as someone far too loyal to a group of players who won a few games in Russia four years ago, Southgate is unlikely to experiment in that way.

Kyle Walker is arguably England's best player in that area of the pitch but more often than not plays through the centre of the Three Lions defence and Trippier should more than likely be Southgate's first-choice right-back.

The 32-year-old has been a key part of a watertight Newcastle defence which has shipped only nine goals in 11 Premier League matches this term and edges Alexander-Arnold in terms of assists (one to none) and big chances created (four to three) in the league this term.

Trippier ultimately offers a decent attacking threat but does not do so at the expense of his fundamental defensive play and his ability from free kicks - cast your mind back to that strike in the semi-final of the last World Cup - is an added bonus.

The bottom line is Trippier should and almost certainly will beat Alexander-Arnold into the England starting 11 and there is even an argument that the Liverpool talent should not be on the plane to Qatar.

Southgate's cautious approach to major tournaments means it is unlikely Alexander-Arnold will be let loose at any point, while Trippier and Walker are strong enough options in that position.

The better approach may be to include Arsenal's Ben White in the 26-man squad - he is 2-5 to make the cut.

Arsenal are flying at the top of the Premier League and White has been central to their strong start, operating on the right side of defence, but he established himself as a centre-back initially and his composure on the ball could make him a great asset.

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