England head coach Gareth Southgate has reportedly decided whether to start Luke Shaw or Kieran Trippier at left wing-back against the Netherlands.
have underperformed at Euro 2024 but have booked their place in the semi-finals of the competition after beating Slovakia and Switzerland in the knockout stages.
Earlier in the tournament, England lacked balance on the left flank as Trippier was used as a makeshift left-back, while winger Phil Foden insisted on drifting inside at any given opportunity.
attempted to amend this problem for England s quarter-final against Switzerland, switching to three-at-the-back with Foden and Jude Bellingham operating as No.10s.
England s performance in the penalty shootout victory against Switzerland was certainly their best in the tournament so far, but they will likely need to improve further if they are to beat Netherlands on Wednesday night.
Trippier or Shaw to start?
Southgate felt he had to play Trippier out of position, as the only natural left-back in England s Euro 2024 squad Shaw has been recovering from a hamstring injury.
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The Manchester United full-back s last Premier League appearance came in February and he missed England s first four tournament matches in Germany before returning to action as a 78th-minute substitute on Saturday evening.
and has said he s ready to start against the Netherlands. When asked on monday if he s ready to play 90 minutes and potentially more, he said: “Yeah, of course. I think I am. But obviously, that’s solely down to Gareth’s decision on what he does, but how I feel, I feel fit and ready to go.”
However, claims Shaw is expected to start on the bench against the Netherlands. Regarding the reasoning for this decision, they explain.
Sky Sports News has been told Southgate has concerns over whether Shaw could last the full 90 minutes, having played 42 minutes in the previous round, and with his only competitive involvement almost five months before that, back in mid-February.
It is also thought that the England manager believes Trippier s defensive prowess could be vital against Netherlands attacking options especially the pacey Denzel Dumfries, who tends to take up the position of an extra winger on the right side when the Dutch have the ball.
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Southgate reserved praise for Newcastle United star Trippier during his pre-match press conference.
