Thomas Tuchel has taken over England and has stated his desire to see the Three Lions play more openly and with more confidence. Against Senegal, the German dropped the two Aston Villa players, Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa.
While Harry Kane provided the early lead for England, it was Senegal who looked livelier and who deserved the eventual 3-1 result. It is unknown how the game might have played out had the Villa center-back been on the pitch at the City Ground.
In general, when Konsa is out there, the backline looks calmer and can defend with a greater sense of security. Even with him, the Villan has often looked the most composed and reliable of any of the other Three Lions defenders.
For England to go far in the 2026 World Cup in North America, they will need to be able to eliminate gifted opportunities for their opponents. Sloppy play, as is the case against any side with quality, can be punished and lead to too many easy goals being scored against.
If there is a match where something of a retro Tiki-Taka Spain level of play comes out and manages to sneak something past Jordan Pickford, then so be it. That would, of course, be difficult for anyone to stop.
Giving England the best chance to prevent the simple concessions from happening, however, needs to include having Konsa on the pitch.
England defeat shows why Aston Villa defender is needed on pitch
For the Tuesday fixture against Senegal, as was the case to an extent against Andorra, Tuchel is continuing to experiment and see how different combinations play together.
While the way in which England ended up losing is embarrassing, it is reasonable enough to not go out with the most likely starting XI for when the matches matter and increase in significance.
What the defeat on English soil to Senegal should illustrate is how important Konsa will be for the Three Lions. The Villan had the best case made for his abilities by nature of not being a part of the fixture on Tuesday.