England and Manchester City star Kyle Walker is expected to be handed 'minutes from the bench' against Wales tonight, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The right-back was included in the Three Lions' World Cup squad despite being hampered by a groin problem picked up at the Etihad Stadium.

GiveMeSport Injury News

GiveMeSport Injury News

England injury news - Kyle Walker

According to Sky Sports, Walker's hopes of heading to Qatar were thrown into serious doubt after he was forced to undergo groin surgery in October.

But the 32-year-old was still selected by England boss Gareth Southgate and, having already racked up 70 caps for his country, he appears to be on course to add to his tally as the country's group stage comes to an end this evening.

That is because the Telegraph have revealed Walker is in line to come into the Three Lions' starting line-up, although it remains to be seen whether he will be included as part of a back three or four-man defence.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man has been out of action since being forced off 41 minutes into Manchester City's 6-3 derby win over Manchester United, as per Transfermarkt.

But Walker, who is on an Etihad Stadium contract worth £175,000-per-week according to Salary Sport, will be hoping to play a key role as England aim to secure top spot in Group B.

Read more: Wales vs England Live Stream: How to Watch, Date, Team News, Odds, Prediction and Everything You Need To Know

What has Ben Dinnery said about Walker?

Dinnery believes England chief Southgate would be better off handing Walker some game-time by bringing him on as a substitute instead of starting him against Wales.

The injury news journalist feels Leicester City attacking midfielder James Maddison is also in line to make his World Cup debut this evening.

When asked whether he expects Walker to be included in the starting line-up, Dinnery told GIVEMESPORT: "At this stage, I'm looking at minutes from the bench at best.

"If England could go out there and do the job in the opening 45 minutes, effectively putting the game to bed, I would expect Southgate to make all five substitutes.

"Certainly, the likes of James Maddison and Kyle Walker would be players that I'd be looking to get some competitive play out there in Qatar."

Should England start Walker against Wales?

It would be a risk to throw Walker straight into the first XI as, according to Transfermarkt, he has enjoyed just 653 minutes of action this season.

The groin injury has resulted in the full-back playing catch-up and, in his absence, England registered a convincing victory against Iran and claimed a clean sheet during a stalemate with the United States.

Southgate's charges will go into the clash against Wales sitting in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup and the last thing he needs is for Walker to suffer a setback.

As per Transfermarkt, the Manchester City man has missed 66 fixtures over the course of his domestic career through various injuries and England may be better off handing him some much-needed game-time as a substitute to limit the chances of another setback.

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