Ahead of England’s friendly match against Brazil on Saturday, manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that his side will be missing several key players, including captain Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, and Jordan Henderson. Kane, the talismanic striker for both England and Bayern Munich, has been ruled out due to an ankle injury sustained during a club match against Darmstadt last weekend.
Southgate addressed the situation during a pre-match press conference on Friday, stating, “No Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson or Cole Palmer tomorrow.” While he didn’t entirely rule out the trio’s availability for England’s subsequent fixture against Belgium, he suggested that Kane’s chances of featuring in that match were “extremely doubtful.”
Opportunities for Others to Shine
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With the absence of such influential players, Southgate acknowledged that it presents a “brilliant opportunity” for other members of the squad to stake their claim for a starting berth in the lead-up to the
Euro 2024 tournament. “It’s a brilliant opportunity for other players. We need to see them ahead of the Euros. From our perspective, it’s a great exercise and opportunity,” the England manager asserted.
One player who could potentially benefit from this situation is the highly-rated Manchester United midfielder,
Kobbie Mainoo, who earned his first senior England call-up. Southgate expressed confidence in Mainoo’s ability, stating, “With Kobbie, I said last week we were conscious about how quickly we should go. You need to make the right steps at the right time with players. For us, he was the next player in. We didn’t want to stop that from happening. He’s fitted in brilliantly. His level of training has been excellent – we won’t hesitate to put him on the pitch.”
Attacking Options in Kane’s Absence
With Kane sidelined, the spotlight will be firmly on England’s other attacking options, notably
Ollie Watkins of
Aston Villa and Ivan Toney of Brentford. Southgate acknowledged the competition for the striker’s role, saying, “That is a decision that we have to make. A nine is a specialist position, but they have different attributes.”
Highlighting their respective strengths, Southgate added, “Ollie’s [Watkins] been with us more recently, of course, and has done well in the games he’s played. He’s had a fabulous season for his club. Ivan [Toney], since he’s come back into
Brentford’s team, has had the impact we expected him to, so they are two very, very good players.”
A Stern Test Against Brazil
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While the match against
Brazil carries the “friendly” label, Southgate emphasized that it would be anything but a casual encounter. “We’ve only beaten Brazil four times. There are lots of matches against big opponents we don’t have outstanding records against – but this team has managed to beat,” he said, acknowledging the challenge posed by the five-time world champions.
“It’s another opportunity for us to put a marker down. But also, we’ll be tested in every aspect of our game,”
Southgate added, highlighting the importance of the fixture as a litmus test for his side’s preparations for the upcoming European Championships.
Looking Ahead to Euro 2024
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As Southgate’s contract with the
England national team is set to expire in December 2024, the upcoming Euros could represent his final opportunity to secure a major trophy with the Three Lions. Having guided England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the final of the postponed European Championships, and the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, Southgate will be eager to go one step further and claim the elusive title that has eluded the nation since their 1966 World Cup triumph.
Following the matches against
Brazil and Belgium, England will have two remaining warm-up fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland in June, providing further opportunities for players to stake their claim for a place in the squad for the Euros, which commence later that month. In the group stages, the Three Lions are scheduled to face
Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia, setting the stage for what promises to be an enthralling and highly competitive tournament.
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