England boss Gareth Southgate drops Scotland team news hint as Harry Maguire update given

Euro 2020: Southgate thrilled to give joy to England fans

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Gareth Southgate’s selections will go a long way to making or breaking England at Euro 2020 so he drew understandable satisfaction from his “animal” instincts proving spot on for the opening game.

The England manager’s borderline calls all came good against Croatia – Tyrone Mings, Kalvin Phillips and, most left field of all, Kieran Trippier at left-back.

It was only the fifth time in Trippier’s career that he had started in the position and there were doubters amongst pundits and public alike before kick-off but what seemed a square peg-round hole pick ahead of specialists Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell paid off.

“What Kieran has is hugely underestimated,” said Southgate. “I think people are still seeing the lad that was at Spurs a couple of years ago and not the defensive animal that has grown at Atletico Madrid, trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches [Diego Simeone] in the world.

“He gets his distances right on cover, he’s good in one vs one to stop crosses and his talking is really good. We had a back four – there was always going to have changes in it – and we felt that communication, that organisation was an important part.

“There are so many close calls in so many positions but we felt against Croatia a back four really getting tight to their midfield was critical and with forwards that could cause their defenders the sorts of problems they don’t want to face.

“Whether that’s going to be the same for every game we have to review.”

The hint at horses for courses in the games ahead indicates Southgate’s confidence in his squad and, increasingly, in his own shrewdness as a selector.

At the 2018 World Cup he had an 11 in his mind and stuck with it – other than when losing to Belgium presented a more inviting route through the tournament.

The only exception came when Dele Alli’s thigh strain forced him out of the Panama game.

The difference three years on is that he is happy to change a winning team if he believes it sets up better for a specific opposition – and has an eye on doing so.

“We’ll look at every opponent, we’ll look at our team for every game, I think we have to have flexibility,” said Southgate.

“We’ve got players who came into the game and did a great job and we’ve got other players in the squad who are going to have a really important part to play.

“That will work its way around. There’s going to be opportunities for a lot more players in the next couple of weeks.”

Jack Grealish, unused off the bench against Croatia, will almost certainly have a role of some sort against Scotland on Friday while Harry Maguire, whose ankle injury is improving, could feature in England’s final group game against the Czech Republic.

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“With Harry he’s progressing well,” said Southgate.

“He’ll train again with a bit more of the group, a little bit more of the session tomorrow. That’s a positive, heading in a good direction.”

A fully fit squad heading into the knockout stages is England’s aspiration but the flip side for the manager is that he will have more players to disappoint with only 23 players involved in each match from 26-man squads.

It was Chilwell and Jadon Sancho who pulled the short straw to join Maguire in the stands against Croatia.

“This was the down side of a squad of 26 – to have conversations with boys that don’t deserve to be left out,” said Southgate.

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