World Cup 2014: Fret over Italy's line-up not England's

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has almost limitless tactical options

While England fans are fairly confident of who will start for the Three Lions, Italy's XI is an unsettling mystery...

As the hours tick by to England's World Cup opener with Italy, the popular topic of conversation is whether Ross Barkley or Raheem Sterling will earn a start, but in reality it is the opposition XI that will be causing Roy Hodgson far greater distress.

The identity of eight England starters appear certain barring any injuries - Joe Hart in goal, Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Glen Johnson in defence, Steven Gerrard and another sitting in front and Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and two others as the front four.

Jordan Henderson is the 1.3130/100 frontrunner to get the central midfield gig ahead of Jack Wilshere at 3.02/1, while Adam Lallana and Danny Welbeck are judged the most likely to supplement Rooney and Sturridge, ahead of James Milner at 2.0621/20, Sterling at 2.166/5 and Barkley at 5.85/1. It will be a 4-2-3-1, or alternatively a not-too-dissimilar 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-3.

By contrast, not even Italy's leading pundits are clued up on what their shape will be, given that the Azzurri switched between 4-3-1-2, 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-3 in their three friendlies, while they also adopted a 3-5-2 at Euro 2012.

The midfielder-cluttered squad that Cesare Prandelli selected lends itself most to one of the first two strategies, yet a 4-3-3 inspired their most encouraging pre-tournament display - a 5-3 victory over Fluminense - and seems best tailored to the challenges that England, Costa Rica and Uruguay pose.

The fact that there are so many variables shows just how difficult Hodgson's task is deciding who to deploy, or more specifically where to position them, with unpredictability a quality that Prandelli has admitted to being keen to harness recently.

For instance, Hodgson risks looking silly if he picks Welbeck and Milner on the flanks for extra protection and Italy kick-off without wingers as they did against Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg.

This writer's inclination would be to start Welbeck behind Sturridge, with the intention of asking him to do the same stifling job on Andrea Pirlo that he attempted on Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso in the 2012/13 Champions League, with Rooney on the left and Milner on the right.

In that scenario, if Prandelli does go 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-2-1, the Three Lions have the tools to adapt by throwing Milner in the middle and using Welbeck, Rooney and Sturridge ahead in whatever configuration suits the circumstances.

Italy's personnel are as open to discussion as the formation. Gianluigi Buffon, Mattia De Sciglio, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli (or Leonardo Bonucci) and Ignazio Abate are the probable back five, with Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi the most assured of the three/four/five midfield picks.

It is in attack where competition is fiercest. Prandelli hinted that he won't play both Mario Balotelli and Ciro Immobile, so the hat-trick-grabber against Fluminense could be sidelined in favour of the bigger name, who is 6.611/2 to break the deadlock.

Lorenzo Insigne's supreme showing in that contest should lean his boss towards a 4-3-3 with him on the left, though you get the sense that the coach prefers 4-3-1-2 and 4-3-2-1. If that does prove to be the case, Antonio Cassano, Antonio Candreva and Alessio Cerci are rivals for the other wide slot.

Best Bet: Back Italy (draw no bet) to win @ 1.910/11

Predicted Line-ups/The Ultimate Mug’s Game:

England (4-2-3-1): Hart; Baines, Cahill, Jagielka, Johnson; Gerrard (c), Henderson; Rooney, Welbeck, Milner; Sturridge

Italy (4-3-3): Buffon (c); De Sciglio, Chiellini, Barzagli, Abate; Pirlo, De Rossi, Marchisio; Insigne, Balotelli, Cassano