John Stones a doubt? | England train ahead of Switzerland quarter-final clash at Euro 2024

John Stones a doubt? | England train ahead of Switzerland quarter-final clash at Euro 2024

just three days to go till England take on Switzerland in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 let’s head straight out to England’s training base in Germany our senior reporter Rob Dorset oh there he is he’s watching GIS Southgate side train this morning first of all let’s let’s do the usual head count who’s out there Rob Rob is the most important thing we ever tell you when we see the England live training because all 26 members the England squad are out there on the grass today that’s a huge boost to GIS Southgate remember they were all given the day yesterday none of them uh did anything football related only Jude Bellingham did a tiny bit of media talking to the fa’s uh diary room uh but seeing all 26 out there uh is a huge huge boost remember this is the biggest Gap England will have between matches if they go all the way to the final as we hope they will it’s a six- day gap between the last 16 game and the quarterfinal from here on in if they win against Switzerland on Saturday it’ll be a three-day turnaround between each of the semi-finals and the finals so they enjoyed that day off but it’s back to business right now all 26 out there uh right in the middle of your picture look we can see Kieran trippier and that’s good news because we know he’s been struggling with a bit of a car St in fact let’s just move across to Jon Stones look he’s got some pretty heavy strapping on that right knee that is something new that’s something we weren’t expecting he did have a bit of strapping on his his right knee right thigh when he came off uh after the game I had a quick chat with him in the mix Zone as he walked past um and the fact that he’s out there training is a relief but that that looks pretty heavy strapping you have to say on Jon Stones doesn’t it so clearly he’s got some issue there that uh the fa medical staff are kind of monitoring and trying to support as much as possible but uh we’ll we’ll try and find out a bit more about that later on but the fact that Kieran Tripp is out there we know he uh he was struggling with a cal strain wasn’t he at the end of Newcastle season we know that he’s been carrying that into the start of this uh International Tournament as well and he got a really Hefty challenge as well from one of the Slovakian players that hurt his knee he was pretty battered and bruised coming off that uh that last 16 game against Slovakia but he’s out there he’s fit he’s training which is really good news for him and for England um and look who’s alongside him they’re all in exactly the same place where we want them to be Mark Gay England’s best defender for me has been outstanding in this tournament so far but he’s suspended he got a second yellow card against Slovakia in the tournament that means he is suspended for this quarterfinal game uh on Saturday against Switzerland and so lots of questions about who might come in uh for him now let’s see we can find Luke Shaw shall we because that’s the other bit of interesting news and team news and significant team news that we’ve been uh talking to you about um throughout the whole of the tournament really remember GIS s said it was a real gamble to bring him in and include him in this squad there he is in in the middle there he’s been out on the grass for the last few sessions with England now uh has told a couple of reporters as he walked through the the media areas that he thinks he’s good to go in the next game I think the plan was for gas Sate to try and get 10 or 15 minutes out of him in the quarterfinal but the circumstances of the game just meant that wasn’t possible at all is it possible that he could start at left back with Kieran trippier out there in training I very much doubt it I think Southgate will still revert to plan a even though it’s been delayed and try and get Luke Shaw on the pitch at some point in the game if england are winning it winning it comfortably but there are absolutely no guarantees about that with the form that they’ve been in in this tournament so far are they so it might be difficult for Luke Shaw to come on as left back but Southgate knows he’s his only left footed left back option and gives England some much needed width uh on the pitch so we wait to see interestingly we will hear from Luke Shaw he’s talking to the media first time he’s done England media in this tournament that’ll be 2:30 we’ll bring that to you live on Sky Sports News what does the man himself think about his Fitness is he ready to go I’m sure he’ll say he AB he absolutely is ready to go and he’s fine uh but we’ll talk to him a little bit later on at 2:30 on Sky Sports News yeah looking forward to that one Rob the players had a day off yesterday we he heard you say Jude Bellingham was in the diary room uh what did the others get up to well yeah Jude Belling was in the diary room and he said some really nice things actually he he talked for the first time really openly about the goal and he paid tribute to to mark gay you can see they turn the sprinklers on for us the fa which is really always really really nice of them so it looks like Jude bellingham’s in a thunderstorm he isn’t that sprinkler is between us and him but um he’s he’s he did get some time off yesterday and when he spoke in the diary room he played a paid a big tribute to mark gay he called him the most humble man in the squad and he didn’t want any attention for that flick on that set Belling up for that wonder goal that kept England in this tournament and and Bellingham did say my God it’s definitely one of the most important and memorable moments of my career so far um but he was spotted in town where we’re staying in airfoot when he went out with his uh mom and uh and father yesterday in a cafe in fact somebody in the fa has just told me that when I went for a run yesterday afternoon I ran straight past him while he was sitting in a cafe and I never even noticed him so that’s good journalism isn’t it that was brilliant um we could have got a bit exclusive with J with Jude Bellingham but didn’t manage it but no the whole point of yesterday was to completely ignore football forget about it spend some time with their friends and family which is what they did um I mean they did it once earlier in the tournament as well and Harry Kane said there were kids running all over the place in the team Hotel bouncy castles and horse riding activities and he said it lasted 5 hours and maybe we should have cut it a bit shorter so maybe when we speak to Luke Shaw a little bit later on we’ll ask him exactly what went on yesterday yeah I don’t know what’s more staggering you didn’t spot Jude Bellingham or you were out for a run I’m gonna I’m going to process that one um as you mentioned uh at least one change will be forced on on gareis Southgate uh with with the absence of Mark gay so what are the options here Rob really interesting one because as I say I think Mark gay is a huge Miss um the way he’s performed in this tournament so far um but I think that’s ezri con no that’s I Tony if we if we can try and find ezri conza um I think he for me is the most likely man to come in uh to replace Mark Gay uh there he is look the middle of the picture there the the Aston Villa man he’s been so consistent all season for Aston Villa and it’s been pretty made pretty clear to me from the people I’ve been speaking to that he’s the first cab on the rank if any of England’s Defenders are not available so he’s shown his versatility already left back right back Center back um and I think he will come into England’s uh Central defense in place of Mark Gay there is some discussion around the camp about whether Southgate might switch to a back three something he hasn’t done for 3 years last time he did that was against Germany in in Euro 2020 it worked England beat Germany 2-0 and they do have that option don’t they because it could be again I still think it would be concer it would be Jon stones and Kyle Walker but what would he do about Wing backs when he’s got so few options at left back in in that situation maybe maybe beio Saka could play left wing back in in the back of your picture there maybe Trent Alexander Arnold could go to a right wing back position so it is possible that Southgate could go to a back three he actually was asked that question by talk sport immediately after uh the the game against Slovakia the other night and he was asked could you go with a back three and his answer was let’s see read into that what you will um but yeah coner is is is in outstanding form and actually B Saker has paid tribute to him he’s told the newspapers this this particular quote he says in some sessions I do a little one versus one training with ezri because for me he’s one of the best in the pre Premier League defending one-on-one so he improves me and I improve him as well so I’m enjoying coming up against him little insight there into how maybe some of the little Partnerships and training uh uh routines go on inside the England Camp when the cameras are turned off U sacka talking up ezri Conor and the job that he does for me now that we’ve seen trippier out there now that we’ve seen him training I think South will stick with a flatback four with ezri kza coming in for Mark gay yeah but the three throws up all sorts of perier ations doesn’t it because you get the sense you rob that he sold that Midfield conundrum uh for England alongside Declan rice but if you if you went for a three or a five then you could drop Bellingham deeper couldn’t you and play him alongside rice maybe uh that could be an option could these are all it could and it would be a good option and look for me I think that would be a good option I think I think the one of England’s biggest problems in the tournament so far is that they’ve been out gunned in Midfield they haven’t been able to control the ball as much as they would have liked I was looking at some of the statistics England have had 60% possession on average throughout the tournament 59.7% if you want to be extremely accurate only Portugal and Germany have averaged more than that so far but England have had more passes than any other Nation so far in their own half so that would suggest they’re not progressing the ball through the thirds as much I mean look anecdotally a lot of the England fans have said too many of the players are turning backwards and passing sideways or backwards but if they can get an extra body in Midfield if they can get that natural width with wing backs if by playing three center backs maybe that’s an answer to the problems it’s not something South Gates something South Gate’s done or even thought about for three years so it would be a significant change of plan if he were to do that um but interesting to see what they do um kobby Mayu though is the man who’s come into that Central Midfield and he’s been outstanding there he is look and that’s nice you’ve got him and Connor Gallagher together and I felt a bit sorry for Connor Gallagher when he got his chance to start in that uh in that that third group game against Slovakia and then he was he was uh he was hauled off at half time replaced by Mayu and Mayu got his first start in the last 16 game I thought Gallagher did okay I think he did what his job is which is to show real energy and dynamism and and win the ball back which he did really quite effectively but Mayu I think has offered the best of both worlds for Gareth Southgate when it comes to passing ability getting England going through through the thirds but also winning the ball back he’s May he’s not as good a passer as Trent Alexander Arnold he’s not as good in terms of recovering recovering the ball as Conor Gallagher but he’s the best allrounder of those two that I think England have got so I think Southgate has solved that Central Midfield conundrum I do think it’ll be kobby Mayo that keeps his place alongside dein rice for this final game but as I say more of that over thec coming days we’ll find out more detail as as as as the the days progress yeah and and we’re seeing just to the left he hasn’t come in a shot of course oh there he is Anthony Gordon there there’s been the clamor for cold Palmer as well getting hotter every game might he make any changes in the more attacking positions that’s the interesting one because that’s where the England manager has stubbornly refused to make any of the changes that people have called for it’s been the same front four hasn’t it throughout the tournament and there has been a clamor for Anthony Gordon I think he’s had a big impact when he has come on um but he’s had very little game time in this tournament um he he is a player who looks to get Beyond his fullback in the same way that Baka Saka does on the other Wing by the way um and has a bit of pace down that Wing very direct in his running and I think there there is a clamor for that to happen um likewise Cole Palmer who but again when you’re talking about Cole Palmer you’re talking about somebody who’s who’s playing on the right wing and he’s left footed Anthony Gordon’s playing on the left wing and he’s right footed one of the problems that I think England have had for me is their lack of natural width um and so I don’t know whether Gareth Southgate sees that option I I still think he might stick with largely what he’s been doing so far with his game plan in terms of his attacking options there’s Harry Kane on the right by the way two goals in two games in The Knockout stages even though he’s not been absolutely at his best Phil foden it’s a big call if if GIS sag thinks about dropping Phil foden isn’t it and there’s Cole Palmer look the man we’ve just been talking about after his extraordinary season with Chelsea all of these attacking options are hugely positive options at the moment southgate’s been using those as impact substitutes mightly go for them from the start I tell you what Luke Shaw’s a really good talker so these are the sort of issues we can address with him when he speaks to the media a little bit later on and of course we’ll get an update on his Fitness and whether he feels ready to go from the start in a massive game against Switzerland in a European championships quarterfinals is that realistic for Luke Shaw after more than four months almost five months now with football that he goes right from uh not playing any football uh to suddenly starting for England I don’t think that’ll happen I don’t think that’ll happen I think Luke Shaw will be on the bench and Southgate will hope to get some game time for him but we’ll talk to him later on Rob 2:30 UK time [Music]

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All 26 players were involved in training today for England ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter-final match against Switzerland on Saturday.

Defender John Stones had some heavy strapping around his right knee but featured in the session.

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