GARETH SOUTHGATE did not even get a chance to solve the final pieces of the puzzle.
Instead, it ended up ringing alarm bells for Southgate after Brazil's next superstar exposed England's understudies.
Endrick, aged 17 years and 246 days, became the youngest international scorer at Wembley with his first goal for his country.
But, for England, the defeat highlighted three key worries ahead of Euro 2024 this summer and, rather than build confidence, it delivered a few home truths.
The first concern is at leftback because, as Southgate conceded, Luke Shaw is running out of time to be fit for the entire tournament.
There is also a gaping hole alongside Declan Rice, right, in central midfield and the idea of these two friendlies against Brazil and Belgium was to try out Trent Alexander-Arnold in against top opposition.
This story is from the March 25, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
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This story is from the March 25, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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