A key player who has been battling injury for months is back in England training at their Germany base as Gareth Southgate looks to improve on a lacklustre start to Euro 2024 when they take on Slovenia on Tuesday.
Luke Shaw has been back in England training as all 26 players took part in a session ahead of the Three Lions’ final group match in Euro 2024.
England will face Slovenia on Tuesday, hoping to win and secure the top spot in Group C to ensure they qualify for the next round.
Gareth Southgate’s side has laboured for much of both of their games so far, drawing 1-1 with Denmark in a poor performance after opening with a 1-0 win over Serbia.
Some have suggested England’s lack of a left-footed full-back has been a factor behind an underwhelming start to the tournament – a position Shaw has made his own, when fit.
A hamstring injury has kept the Manchester United left-back on the sidelines since February and he was a surprise inclusion in the England squad.
Southgate admitted Shaw was a “long shot” and something of a “wild card” when naming his initial 33-man training squad, but steady progress saw him make the final cut.
“I think you can take one gamble and that’s the gamble that we’ve got enough evidence to believe it can pay off,” he said earlier this month.
“And also, positionally, because of what he brings with his experience, the fact he’s a left-footer who can drive forward and give us a different attacking option as well, then it is a situation we wanted to explore.”
He has been working on an individual programme to get match fit and was out on the grass at Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land, England’s training base, on Monday.
Southgate has some selection headaches for the game in Cologne as he is still trying to strike the right balance for his team.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has started both games in midfield but has struggled at times, while getting the best out of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane in the same line-up is proving problematic.
An England win would guarantee they avoid Germany in the second round, while a win will see them face a third-place finisher – which will be decided only when all group matches have finished.