This was a good game for those who were missing.
It was also good for Conor Gallagher - making his first start for England ahead of a summer when he could prove one of the Premier League’s most significant pieces of business.
The all-action midfielder has been one of the stories of the season.
His form on loan for Crystal Palace has convinced Chelsea to include him in their first team squad next season – in direct competition with N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.
Thomas Tuchel has seen enough – and Gareth Southgate is also on-board, with Gallagher increasingly looking like a notable improvement to the squad that lost on penalties to Italy in last summer’s Euros Final.
Privately Tuchel believes the 22-year-old shares a lot of Kante’s qualities. He certainly has a game based on boundless energy. But there is more of an attacking element to Gallagher.
Crucially, for Southgate, he is an option in an area of the pitch that has been problematic for England.
He is willing to break the lines in a manner unlike Declan Rice or Kalvin Phillips – adding another dimension to a midfield that prioritises caution over creativity.
Phillips has been a revelation – and was one of the stars of the Euros – but his sideways passing is too often limiting.
Gallagher likes to drive with the ball at his feet – or run beyond opposition midfielders without it.
It was his first half cross, when pressing high on the edge of Switzerland’s box, that provided the assist for Luke Shaw’s equaliser after Breel Embolo had headed the visitors in front.
Earlier his goal-bound effort had been headed clear when looking on course for the top corner.
With the weight of Bryan Robson and David Beckham’s No7 on his back there was no sign of the occasion daunting him.
He is rising to each new challenge, which is why his return to Chelsea in the summer offers such cause for optimism at Stamford Bridge and could yet see them pass up the opportunity to sign long-time target Rice.
If this was a day when Gallagher’s reputation enhanced, so did those of the players missing from Southgate’s starting XI.
The absence of Harry Maguire, John Stones, Rice and Phillips underlined how England lack control and protection without that quartet.
They could have conceded at least three times in the first half as the Swiss twice hit the woodwork and Jordan Pickford was repeatedly called into action.
Without the central defensive partnership of Maguire and Stones, the visitors were allowed too many clear sighters on goal. That was only compounded by the lack of screen provided by that midfield wall of Rice and Phillips.
When Rice came on in the second half there was an improvement on that front – even if it was Gallagher who he replaced. Southgate has time to start working on an evolution of his squad before the World Cup starts in November.
And if he is to make noticeable changes to his team then it is likes of Gallagher, who will need to be drafted in.
In that sense, it was curious that Jude Bellingham did not start. He is another who could make a significant difference in the centre of the pitch to expand England’s game.
Instead it was Jordan Henderson anchoring Gallagher, almost certainly because of his experience, but if this is not the time to experiment, when is?
A Bellingham-Gallagher axis is surely worth an extended look. Perhaps that will happen against Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
While this was a chance to see Marc Guehi and Ben White – who was a late replacement for the injured Stones – it is hard to imagine Southgate will be convinced to break up his preferred defence.
England looked vulnerable for much of the first half, with Embolo opening the scoring after 20 minutes when he got in-between White and Kyle Walker-Peters to head Xherdan Shaqiri’s cross past a flat-footed Pickford.
It could have been two shortly after when, this time, England’s goalkeeper produced stunning reflexes to push Remo Freuler’s shot onto the bar.
Shaqiri then nearly scored directly from a corner – hitting the post before Ricardo Rodriguez called Pickford into action again and Embolo fired the rebound wide.
When England equalised in first half stoppage time, it put gloss on a torrid 45 minutes.
They pressed high with Phil Foden forced Fabian Frei into a clearance on the Swiss byline. Walker-Peters cut it out and Gallagher crossed for the on-coming Shaw.
The Manchester United full back still had much to do, but struck a sweet first-time effort to level the score.
England’s winner was a gift from Switzerland, with substitute Steven Zuber handling Guehi’s header.
A penalty was awarded after a VAR check and Harry Kane powered home his 49th goal for the Three Lions to move him alongside Sir Bobby Charlton as No2 in the all-time scoring charts for his country. He needs five more to overtake Wayne Rooney’s total of 53.
While Southgate will have little doubt who should lead his line at the World Cup, Gallagher has given him plenty to ponder in midfield.
