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And England fans on social media, on phone-ins, went into meltdown lite.
When Jordan Henderson tipped up for media duty on the eve of this match, the world knew he would be starting against Wales.
This was, of course, a game tailor-made for his style, good Premier League standard versus mediocre Premier League standard.
Told to rest because the manager knows… knows that if this England team is to go really deep into this tournament, no one will be more vital to the cause than Declan Rice.
As it happened, Bellingham was also selected but the point is that not a single right-minded fan ever thought Gareth Southgate would demote Declan Rice.
It is a role Rice is happy to accept.
To a large extent, that is his role and most successful modern teams, if not every successful modern team, has that type of operator.