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The manager of the English national team, Gareth Southgate, has acknowledged that Luke Shaw may not be able to play in all of the matches at Euro 2024, even if he is able to recover in time to participate in the tournament held in Germany.
The back defender for England is currently working on healing a muscle injury in hopes of being able to join Manchester United for the rest of their season. However, their national team manager, Southgate, thinks he may have to find a replacement for the left-back position during some of the upcoming matches.
He stated that the individual in question will be close to reaching the end of the season. He also mentioned that it would be highly improbable for them to participate in seven games in the Euros.
Southgate is now placing a stronger emphasis on finding a backup for Shaw. He has previously utilized Kieran Trippier as a left-back, and in November, Fikayo Tomori and Rico Lewis filled in for the position. However, neither of them are currently part of his squad.
Ben Chilwell played on the left side of the defensive line in the 1-0 loss to Brazil on Saturday. Joe Gomez may also be considered, but Southgate acknowledged that Shaw is the primary choice for England.
He stated: “I believe Ben did a great job in defense and the game was crucial for him. I do not want to criticize Ben, but in my opinion, Luke is one of the top left-backs in the world.”
Southgate believes that Jude Bellingham will need to adjust to facing frequent challenges from opposing teams, as evidenced by Brazil’s numerous fouls against him.
The England coach believed that had it been a tournament game, Lucas Paqueta would have received a second yellow card. However, he anticipates that Bellingham may face similar challenges in future matches.
He stated, “He is an excellent player and their team is known for playing fiercely. In a highly competitive match, there would have likely been more penalty cards than we saw tonight, which would have controlled their aggressiveness. However, this is a valuable experience for him to endure.”
“I believe he handled the situation effectively. He received a yellow card that could have easily been given to the other team on multiple occasions. I do believe that in friendly games, referees tend to officiate differently.”
Source: independent.co.uk
