Gareth Southgate's England were missing two of their most compelling performances of the international break. Photo: Shutterstock/Georgi Likovski
Gareth Southgate won't see his England players again until March and with just four games left before the European Championships, he has more questions than answers to ponder over the next four months.
The good news is that Southgate may not have quite had the selection headache he might have expected, but none of his experiments during England's last round of games really panned out, and those who hoped to prove their point largely failed to do so.
< p>Here, Telegraph Sport looks at the questions Southgate didn't have answers to in his last two European Championship qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
Is Trent Alexander-Arnold the answer in midfield?
With Jordan Henderson playing for his club in Saudi Arabia and Calvin Phillips not playing for his club, Southgate took the opportunity to get a good look at Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. He was good but nothing special in England's sloppy match against Malta, making a few good passes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been moved from defense to midfield. Photo: AP/Darko Vojinovic
But in Skopje he gave the ball away too easily and did not look entirely comfortable next to Declan Rice. Despite Phillips' problems at Manchester City, he and Rice have a good understanding, something that was missing in the match against North Macedonia. Trent's inclusion also makes it a little more difficult to play against a hard-hitting number 10, where Jude Bellingham has flourished of late. Alexander-Arnold has done no harm to his chances of qualifying for Euro 2024, but at this point Southgate is unlikely to be convinced he should start in Germany.
Which is England's best left flank?
Stripped of most left-back options, Southgate was forced to get creative in these two games. Fikayo Tomori was asked to play out of position to cover for the injured Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell against Malta, but lasted just 45 minutes before being substituted. In Skopje, Rico Lewis made his debut and failed to convert a first-half penalty awarded after being tested by Var. Lewis played as a hybrid midfielder while Tomori played more as a third centre-back with Kieran Trippier pushing forward at Wembley.
The only answer Southgate really got from those two games was that he could really use Shaw and Chilwell being fit this summer. The England manager also considered two different options on the left flank of his attack, with Marcus Rashford offering little and Jack Grealish having a goal disallowed for offside. With Cole Palmer now part of the squad and Raheem Sterling pushing for a recall, Southgate is still unsure who his best starter is to the left of his front three.
Who is Harry Kane's deputy? 
Ollie Watkins did not make a compelling case for his inclusion. Photo: AP/Darko Vojinovic
Ollie Watkins has made another bid to become Kane's number one backup but Ivan Toney may still feel he can force his way back into the summer thanks to Monday night's testimony. Watkins was denied an early goal by a lucky block but misjudged a good chance with his header from Phil Foden's cross. England simply won't find another Kane and Watkins emerged from England's last camp with dignity after scoring against Australia.
Callum Wilson's injuries may make it a tough task for him to travel to the tournament, but Tony has the chance to give Southgate something to really think about when he returns from an eight-month ban in the new year. . Unsurprisingly, Southgate brought on Kane around the hour mark in Skopje and he headed in an own goal with his first touch. Watkins will consider his evening a missed opportunity.
Can England count on Harry Maguire?
Maguire deserves credit for the way he fought his way back into the Manchester United team, but it was another two unconvincing performances for England. Against Malta, Maguire struggled with his passing without John Stones at his side. The Manchester City defender is undoubtedly one of Southgate's most important players. Interestingly, in the match against North Macedonia, Maguire was moved from left of center to right, but, again, his distribution let him down.
Var released him after giving the ball away and then comically fell on Eljif Elmas, with replays showing it should have been a penalty. Marc Guey, on the other hand, was the picture of calm in both qualifiers and there should now be an argument to test the Crystal Palace star alongside the Stones in the matches against Brazil and Belgium in March. Southgate has been incredibly loyal to Maguire, but he certainly has to wonder whether Stones and Guey are the way forward now.
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