Jesse Lingard set to start for England against Nigeria
Gareth Southgate has confirmed Jesse Lingard, who appeared alongside his manager at a press conference on Friday, will start against Nigeria.
The England boss, though, insisted he was not in a straight fight for a first-team place with Tottenham's Dele Alli.
"I don't see it as a straight contest between any individual, absolutely they could play together," he said.
"All of our attacking players have different attributes or strengths. Jesse is a fantastic player at recognising the space, working away from the ball, a great link between midfield and attack."
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had been a key cog in midfield for England, particularly impressing alongside Lingard in the March friendlies against Netherlands and Italy.
But a long-term injury to Oxlade-Chamberlain means he sits out the World Cup, giving rise to the possibility of Lingard and Dele Alli pairing up in forward-thinking midfield roles.
Southgate put his England squad through their paces on Friday, with Phil Jones absent after leaving the camp to attend the birth of his child. The Manchester United defender is also set to sit out Saturday's game.
Adam Lallana trained with the squad on Thursday and was again present on Friday, the Liverpool midfielder on the standby list having overcome a hamstring injury.