Gareth Southgate has named when he expects Luke Shaw will be fit to play for England during Euro 2024.
Shaw is England’s first-choice left-back has not played for club or country since February due to a hamstring injury.
The Manchester United defender was on Thursday named in Southate’s final 26-man squad but another key member of England’s back-line in recent years — Shaw’s United team-mate Harry Maguire — was cut after failing to recover from a calf injury sustained in April.
While Maguire’s fitness was too big a gamble, Shaw’s progress means Southgate was prepared to roll the dice.
Southgate said of Shaw: “He’s progressed really well in the last couple of weeks. At the moment, we think he could have some involvement in the second group game. But, of course, [he’s] got to keep hitting the markers. But he’s got a good body of work, operating at good speeds as well.
“I think you can take one gamble, and that [taking Shaw] is a gamble that we’ve got enough evidence to believe can pay off.
“And also positionally, with what he brings with his experience, the fact he’s a left-footer who can drive forward and give us another attacking option as well, that’s a situation we wanted to explore.”
Maguire has represented England 63 times and was an experienced member of Southgate’s team, captaining them on occasion.
Asked who will step up in terms of leadership in Maguire’s absence, the England manager replied: “Leadership is a really important part of any successful team, and we have plenty of players on over 50 caps.
“[Jordan] Pickford, [Kyle] Walker, [John] Stones, [Declan] Rice, [Harry] Kane, and [Kieran] Trippier is very close to that figure.
“We will also see characters emerge through the coming months.”
