Gareth Southgate is facing a potential selection crisis for England’s crunch Euro 2024 fixture against Slovenia, with news emerging of an injury concern surrounding a second player.
On Saturday, it was announced that Luke Shaw would be leaving the England camp and returning home, with a view of returning to Germany for the knockout stages if the Three Lions go through and he is fit enough.
The Manchester United defender hadn’t played since February due to injury when he was called up as part of the final 26-man Euro 2024 squad.
In a press conference earlier this month, Southgate said he was optimistic that Shaw could play some part during the group stages as he recovered from his hamstring problem.
But the 28-year-old was still involved in individual training programmes this week, and the decision was taken to allow him to travel home.
Now, it is being reported that fellow defender Kieran Trippier, who has been filling in for Shaw at left-back throughout the tournament thus far, is nursing a calf problem ahead of the Slovenia fixture.
Trippier has been preferred to Liverpool’s Joe Gomez in the opening two games, with no fit natural left-back in England’s squad.
The 33-year-old went down with cramp during the 1-0 win over Serbia on matchweek one, but ran it off and completed the full 90 minutes.
The Telegraph claim that Trippier has in fact been suffering with a calf issue throughout the tournament, though it is unclear whether it relates to a similar issue that kept him out of action for Newcastle earlier on in the season.
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And the report goes on to add that Southgate has taken precautionary measures in training to avoid aggravating the injury, with Gomez and Ezri Konsa regularly being swapped in at left-back during training sessions.
The report will raise fresh concerns among England fans about a lack of depth in the full-back position, given Shaw’s ongoing fitness battles and Southgate’s decision not to call up Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell or Manchester City’s Rico Lewis.
Should Trippier need to miss out against Slovenia, Gomez appears to be the most likely candidate to replace him, with Konsa and the right-back pair of Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold able to deputise in an emergency.
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