Luke Shaw has given England a boost by declaring he will be back from his hamstring injury to play a part in the Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Slovakia on Sunday. The squad’s only specialist left-back has been missed as he has worked to recover from the problem that has ruled him out since 18 February.
In Shaw’s absence, Gareth Southgate has played Kieran Trippier out of position on the left of the back four and it has led to issues with the balance of the team. Trippier has been solid but his reluctance to overlap further forward, together with Phil Foden’s licence to drift inside from the left wing, served to make England narrow in their three group games.
Southgate, who finished Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia with Kyle Walker at left-back and Trent Alexander-Arnold on as an 84th-minute substitute for Trippier at right-back, has always considered Shaw to be a “gamble” worth taking, particularly in a 26-man squad. Southgate initially said his hope was that the Manchester United player could be an option from the bench in the second group match against Denmark, although Shaw’s club manager, Erik ten Hag, said he was never going to feature before the last 16.
Shaw was asked when he would return as he left the stadium in Cologne after the Slovenia stalemate. “Next game,” he replied.
Shaw has followed a bespoke training programme at the squad’s base in Blankenhain, working indoors on certain days, and the Football Association have been as careful as possible with him, knowing one false move could end his hopes of involvement. There have to be concerns about Shaw’s match sharpness and also the levels of expectation on him after such a long lay-off.
Southgate will manage that just as he said he would talk to Jude Bellingham about the levels of pressure the midfielder appears to be putting on himself. Bellingham, who scored the winner against Serbia in England’s opening game during a virtuoso first-half performance, was less impressive against Slovenia, having also struggled against Denmark.
“It’s about the team,” Southgate said. “We have to play as a team at all times and some days the space will be where there is more opportunity for our wingers as Slovenia defended narrow. Our wingers could show what they could do. It was a little bit harder to play through the middle.
“I thought Phil and Bukayo [Saka] did very well and Cole [Palmer] obviously had a good impact when he came on. That is what a team is. For everyone else you have to focus on individuals but for me it is about the team functioning and we were closer to where we want to be.”
It was put to Southgate that Bellingham could not afford to allow his frustration to show. “I will have those messages with him rather than plaster them over the papers,” Southgate said.
