Micah Richards fears that Gareth Southgate's trust in Harry Maguire could be "misplaced" as the defender sweats on his England starting role.
The Manchester United centre-half has been a regular under the current regime, playing a vital role in England's recent success in major tournaments. However his form has nosedived since the Euros last summer and he finds himself on the bench at club level, with his lack of minutes evident.
Southgate kept faith with Maguire in the last round of internationals, but he was exposed in the draw with Germany at Wembley, making several high profile errors to cast major doubt over his starting role. England have other options they can turn to, but Maguire could still retain the faith of his manager, which Richards hopes isn't an ill-fated decision.
He said in the Daily Mail: "This selection has all come down to trust. As I mentioned with Kyle Walker, Gareth Southgate has picked him because he knows the Manchester United man well and he has never let him down in a tournament. I just hope that he doesn't get let down and that trust hasn't been misplaced. A big performance early on will help everyone."
Southgate has previously said players must be getting regular football at their clubs if they are to be selected. Maguire's possible inclusion would go against that theory, but he is one of several individuals who have been favourites under the England boss.
Jordan Pickford is another, conceding just twice at the Euros last summer. The Everton goalkeeper has often performed better for his country than his club, but his error count for the Toffees has seen calls for a change. Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale are the other available shotstoppers in Qatar.
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Despite that Richards doesn't - and hasn't - seen the clamour for switch up the No 1, citing his personality as a major plus. "I've never understood the debate about whether he should start a tournament," he claimed.
"What has he ever done wrong for England? He has actually been a hero at times. I love him and have no doubts about him. He might be Marmite to some people but I like Jordan's character. You need strong personalities in a successful group and that's what he is."
Richards has also backed the out of form Raheem Sterling to benefit from a change in environment. The forward has struggled to hit the ground running at Chelsea following his summer move from Manchester City, but has often produced for the Three Lions under Southgate, scoring big goals at the last Euros.
