Gareth Southgate gets England injury boost as Man Utd & Man City stars spotted in training

John Stones and Luke Shaw returned to England training on Thursday.John Stones and Luke Shaw returned to England training on Thursday.
John Stones and Luke Shaw returned to England training on Thursday. | Getty Images
England begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday.

England trained with all 26 players on Tuesday in a huge fitness boost for Gareth Southgate ahead of this week’s Euro 2024 kick-off.

The tournament begins on Friday when hosts Germany face Scotland, two days before the Three Lions meet Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. England’s preparations for the competition have been impacted by injuries with Southgate naming an original 33-man training squad that featured a surplus of defenders.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ultimately, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah missed out on selection, along with Harry Maguire, who was deemed not fit. But Luke Shaw was included in the final 26-man group despite not featuring for Manchester United since February in an injury-ravaged season.

But Southgate insisted he could take one ‘risk’ in his squad and hoped Shaw - the only left-back called up - would be back in time for England’s second group-stage game against Denmark on 20 June. It’s a gamble that looks increasingly like it could pay off as Shaw was seen in the Three Lions’ open training session on Tuesday, a day after the England squad flew to Germany.

Reporter Simon Peach posted a video on social media of Shaw training with the squad, along with John Stones. The Manchester City defender was also an injury concern after he picked up a knock in Friday’s defeat to Iceland that forced him to be withdrawn at half-time.

Southgate said the decision to replace Stones was a precaution, but will be relieved to see his most experienced centre-back involved in the session, especially with Maguire unavailable. Jude Bellingham, who met up late with the camp after his Champions League-winning exploits for Real Madrid, was also part of the group.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The midfielder didn’t play in either of England’s warm-up games - the defeat to Iceland and the 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina - but is expected to start against Serbia on Sunday, before clashes against Denmark and Slovenia.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice