Tonight, England take on Slovenia in the second World Cup qualifier of Gareth Southgate's interim reign.

But having limped to a 2-0 win over Malta during the former Boro gaffer's first fixture in charge of the Three Lions on Saturday, tonight's game certainly isn't the foregone conclusion it may seem - especially considering Slovenia beat Slovakia, whom England could only draw against at EURO 2016, in their last outing.

An inexperienced manager, overseeing a squad hit by injuries as 'Big Sam's' cloud of corruption continues to linger over the national team, a Slovenia side playing in front of their home crowd have a real chance of causing an upset in Group F.

With that in mind, Southgate needs to answer some crucial questions, relating to tactics and team selection, before tonight's 7:45pm kickoff at Stadion Stozice. Being the helpful bunch we are at FootballFanCast, we've outlined the four most important England's interim manager must find a response to.

Who comes in for Wayne Rooney?

With news of Wayne Rooney being dropped already confirmed by a variety of sources, including BBC Sport, it remains to be seen who’ll replace the out-of-form skipper in England’s engine room.

The immediate choice is Eric Dier; employing an out-and-out defensive midfielder away from home follows an obvious logic; but he’s only just returned from injury and managed just 18 minutes against Manchester City during the last weekend of Premier League action.

Amid Adam Lallana’s absence, central midfield alternatives are a little thin on the ground. But Dele Alli moving into a deeper position, instigating a slight reshuffle in attacking midfield with someone else taking the central role, certainly isn’t the worst idea.

Likewise, with three talented strikers at his disposal, 4-4-2 shouldn’t be ruled out.

How can England keep the Slovenian crowd quiet?

It should be remembered that Slovenia enter tonight’s game on the back of beating Slovakia at home last Saturday.

Accordingly, Stadion Stozice, the biggest stadium in Slovenia, will be like a fortress this evening and England must view silencing the partisan crowd as one of their primary duties. Atmospheres always seem to have a huge influence on Premier League players and the more Slovenia look like causing an upset, the more raucous support they’ll receive.

The generic solution is to keep possession as much as possible, although that will welcome criticisms of ‘same old England not knowing what to do with the ball’. The most logical alternative is a roaring start and an early goal, but pressuring a deep-lying Slovenia too early on could backfire spectacularly if they score on the counter-attack.

Who starts up front?

England’s striker situation is as encouraging as it is frustrating, due to the embarrassment of riches at Southgate’s disposal.

Jamie Vardy’s not quite hit the dizzying heights of last season but he’s still a ruthless finisher whose speed makes him incredibly dangerous on the counter-attack. Daniel Sturridge, meanwhile, is probably the Three Lions’ most naturally talented striker and found the net against Malta on Saturday.

But a significant portion of England fans are desperate to see teenage goal machine Marcus Rashford get a real chance as the front-man after spending the majority of his (admittedly short) senior international career on the wing.

In some senses, Southgate can’t get this one wrong. All three know where the goal is and England’s midfield should make enough chances for them to get on the scoresheet. But considering Slovenia will likely sit deep and invite pressure, Sturridge, who has the ability to shoot from long range and ghost past defenders, seems the more obvious choice.

Can England afford to experiment?

This isn’t your U-14s Sunday football team, where everybody’s promised the chance to play. Nonetheless, having selected a particularly strong line-up to face Malta on Saturday, Southgate may see tonight’s game as a chance to experiment and learn a bit more about the Three Lions’ fringe men.

Of course, selecting a largely unfamiliar side could prove disastrous, but plenty of players will feel they’re deserving of a start for various reasons, not least including the in-form Marcus Rashford, Fraser Forster - the genuine competitor to No.1 Joe Hart - Michail Antonio, who is with his second England squad but yet to claim a cap, and late call-up Michael Keane.

Whilst it may be too risky to bring in the latter, a young and relatively inexperienced defender, Antonio, Forster and Rashford surely deserve a chance tonight - be it in the form of a start or from the bench.