England stars face World Cup audition against ‘modern Makelele’ Federico Valverde

England’s fringe stars will experience a knockout blow to their World Cup dreams during Friday’s audition against Uruguay.

And fittingly, it’ll be at the hands of a Real Madrid star who has ironically been unleashed by the presence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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Federico Valverde scored his sixth goal in five games to help Los Blancos claim bragging rights in a 3-2 win over Atletico.

The 27-year-old’s latest celebration paid tribute to PFL Madrid, having attended the event with Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham.

Valverde emulated his compatriot, Luciano Pereira, by referencing the latter’s first-round victory over Kevin Cordero.

The midfielder’s one-two-three punch was emblematic of the rapid triple blow he delivered against Manchester City earlier this month.

Valverde took just 22 minutes to score his first career hat-trick in Madrid’s Champions League first-leg win over Pep Guardiola’s men.

“He feels like the modern-day [Claude] Makélélé, doesn’t he?” Andy Brassell told talkSPORT’s Trans Europe Express podcast afterwards referencing the former Real and Chelsea midfielder.

“Adored by his teammates and maybe not as a superstar by the rest of the world.

“But the difference is, I guess Valverde can every so often knock on the fourth window and go, ‘hello, actually I can do this’.

“I think the amazing thing was they weren’t all shots from range. It was such a such a versatile hat-trick as well, but yeah, what a player.

“Also, we’ve got to say it’s down to Trent Alexander-Arnold because now he’s fit again, Valverde doesn’t have to play right back anymore.”

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England vs Uruguay audition

Tuchel has already confirmed that he has divided his March squad into separate camps for each game, ‘to open up the competition for plane tickets to the US’.

The Three Lions boss will oversee 24 players against Uruguay, before 11 of his key stars arrive in camp ahead of the clash with Japan.

Valverde won’t be facing his Real Madrid teammate at Wembley after Alexander-Arnold was left out of England’s 35-man squad.

Yet his performance against the likes of Ben White, who has returned to the international fold for the first time since 2022, will play a factor in Tuchel’s final selections for the summer.

The last meeting between the two nations ended England’s World Cup in 2014 – now Valverde and co. can dash the dreams of several Three Lions hopefuls before the tournament even starts and England fans are still trying to buy their tickets.

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Uruguay ‘lost the main power up front’

Yet former Chelsea and Tottenham star Gus Poyet admitted his country is a completely different team from that one in Brazil.

“You won’t believe how different,” he told talkSPORT’s White & Jordan on Tuesday. “In Uruguay, the normal Uruguay, until 2011, 12, 13, it was seven players, the goalkeeper and seven, working very hard.

“Give it to the guys up front, then we’ll sort it out. [Luis] Suarez, [Edinson] Cavani, [Diego] Forlán, previously [Enzo] Francescoli.

“And now we don’t have that up front. And normally, we strengthen the midfield.

“The Valverde, the Bentancur, the Ugarte [who] is not playing now. So we are more as a team that we lost the consistency at the back, but also we lost the main power up front. So it’s like a new process.”

England’s clash with Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on Friday at 7.45pm is live on talkSPORT.