England Faces Dilemma Ahead of Euro 2024 Final Against Spain
With just one hurdle left before becoming European champions, England’s head coach Gareth Southgate faces some tough decisions as he prepares to announce the starting lineup for the Euro 2024 final against Spain.
Kieran Trippier has declared himself fit for the Euro 2024 final, set to kick off at 2 AM on July 15 in Berlin, Germany. This puts Gareth Southgate in a dilemma, as Luke Shaw is also vying for a starting spot.
Luke Shaw, who has yet to start a match for England at Euro 2024 due to recovering from an injury, played the entire second half in the semifinal against the Netherlands, replacing Trippier, who was subbed off due to a groin injury.
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane has assured that he is not facing any injury issues despite reports suggesting he was hurt after a challenge by the Netherlands’ Denzel Dumfries, which led to a controversial penalty decision.
Southgate confirmed, “There are no scan results showing any issues. As far as we know, they are fine, but we will continue to assess. We don’t expect anyone to rule themselves out of the Euro 2024 final.”
Under immense pressure, Southgate admitted his concerns ahead of the final against Spain. This match presents an opportunity for the Three Lions to win their first-ever European Championship, following their heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Speaking about the upcoming final, Southgate said, “There is a bit of anxiety. Biologically, your body has to prepare and respond well to these battles. I am like anyone else, but the difference now is that I know how to manage it, deal with it, use that focus, and harness the motivation it brings. Over the past six or seven years, we have managed many big games. You realize this is just another challenge, and you become more confident.”
Southgate admitted that the Euro campaign feels like a family holiday, and now he is ready to go home. He mentioned that he has hardly slept this week but is prepared for the final push to lead England to glory.
Reflecting on the hectic schedule, Southgate said, “It’s been really intense. There’s not much time. We got back to the hotel at four in the morning, woke up at eight or nine to watch Spain, review our match, train the players who didn’t play in the semifinal, then had more meetings last night and returned to training this morning. It’s really fast-paced. Ideally, we’d have more time to prepare, but the players are used to this. It’s like going on a family holiday for a few weeks, spending six or seven weeks with the same group, staying in a lovely hotel. Now, everyone is probably ready for the end.”
The Mirror has revealed the likely starting lineups for both England and Spain for the Euro 2024 final:
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Rice, Mainoo, Trippier; Foden, Bellingham, Kane.
Spain: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri, Olmo; Yamal, Morata, Williams.
As the countdown to the final begins, all eyes will be on Southgate and his decisions, which could lead England to a historic victory.
