Injured England star spotted training ahead of Euro 2024 opener vs Serbia
England left-back Luke Shaw trained with his teammates ahead of their Euro 2024 opening game against Serbia on Sunday (June 16). The Manchester United star has been sidelined with a muscular issue since February, missing most of his club's 2023-24 campaign.
Gareth Southgate opted to select Shaw in his 26-man squad despite his injury issues. He's the only left-footed defender in the Three Lions squad as they start their campaign in Germany this weekend.
England's squad trained in Jena today (June 11), and Shaw was among those who participated in the session. It's a massive boost for Southgate and fans, given how important the United full-back is.
English journalist Henry Winter posted a video of Shaw training on his X (formerly Twitter) account:
Shaw, 28, made just 15 appearances across competitions at club level last season, posting one assist. He's been an ever-present for England during Southgate's reign and has earned 31 caps with three goals and nine assists.
Southgate defended calling Shaw up despite his fitness problems and admitted it was 'a gamble worth making.' He also snubbed Chelsea's Ben Chilwell despite the left-back being fit.
Shaw was initially ruled out of the clash against Serbia, but he could be an option now that he's training. Southgate tipped him to be available for his nation's second Euro 2024 encounter with Denmark (June 20). They complete their Group C schedule against Slovenia (June 25).
John Stones also trained ahead of England's Euro 2024 campaign
John Stones also trained with the England squad ahead of their Euro 2024 campaign. The Manchester City star picked up a knock to his ankle in a 1-0 friendly loss to Iceland last Friday (June 7).
The versatile defender has seemingly recovered and is set to be available against Serbia. Southgate will rely on the City centre-back to be at his best as Harry Maguire failed to make the tournament due to a calf injury.
Stones has been a mainstay in the Three Lions defense alongside Maguire for the past three tournaments. He earned 72 caps and was impressed at Euro 2020 when his nation made it to the final at Wembley.
Southgate has a decision to make over his midfield ahead of the Serbia clash. He's considering starting Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold as Declan Rice's partner against the Balkans nation. They are favorites to win their group, but their manager has a few selection dilemmas to address.