Everton ace Jarrad Branthwaite will play for England against Belgium, according to Jeff Stelling, with Ally McCoist noting that he has to.

The central defender watched on from the bench as the Three Lions lost 1-0 to Brazil at Wembley on Saturday (23 March).

Gareth Southgate’s side now take on Belgium in another friendly on Tuesday (26 March), with Wembley once again the venue.

“He’ll play Branthwaite tomorrow night, there’s no question about that,” Stelling said on talkSPORT, with McCoist noting: “He’s got to, he’s got to.”

McCoist added: “Branthwaite has been excellent,” with Stelling saying: “He’ll get his chance tomorrow, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.”

Will Gareth Southgate give minutes to Everton ace Jarrad Branthwaite?

Branthwaite has enjoyed a rapid rise lately, with the defensive ace watching on from the Toffees bench not so long ago, having spent last season on loan at PSV.

The easing of the youngster into the first team from Sean Dyche has worked wonders, with Branthwaite forming a solid partnership alongside James Tarkowski.

The Goodison Park club have certainly not been at their best this season, with Premier League relegation on the cards once more.

But they could be in a worse position if not for Branthwaite and the more experienced Tarkowski, and indeed star goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The young centre-back is still waiting for his England debut, having been called up to the senior squad for the first time for this month’s friendlies, with minutes potentially coming against Belgium.

Southgate opted for John Stones and Harry Maguire against Brazil, but the latter has since left the squad through injury.

In other Everton news, national media recently scored one “invaluable” Toffees ace 8/10 on international duty.

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