Luke Shaw participated in training with his England teammates today, but he will not be available for their final European Championship group stage match against Slovenia tomorrow.
Shaw, recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in February, had been training individually as part of his rehabilitation.
Despite not playing since February, the 28-year-old defender was included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros. He was absent from England’s first two Group C games: a 1-0 victory against Serbia and a 1-1 draw with Denmark last Thursday.
Advertisement
England’s official channels confirmed that all 26 players in Southgate’s squad, including Shaw, took part in Monday’s training session. However, Southgate clarified in his pre-match press conference that Shaw is “not quite ready yet” and will not be considered for selection for Tuesday’s game.
Shaw was assigned the No 3 jersey for England in the tournament. In his absence, Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier, naturally a right-back, has been filling in at left-back for the national team throughout the Euros campaign.
Prior to the Euros, Shaw discussed his injury recovery, admitting that he might have rushed his return previously, which led to him missing the final four months of Manchester United’s season.
“I felt something against Aston Villa and came off at half-time at Villa Park,” Shaw explained. “It was a collective misjudgment, partly my fault, partly the medical staff – I think everyone would acknowledge that. I didn’t train the entire week leading up to the game.
“The scan results weren’t too alarming, but I still didn’t train all week, only training the day before the match. If the manager asks me to play, I’m never going to decline. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have played.”
England’s upcoming match against Slovenia is crucial. A win would secure their position at the top of Group C, while even a draw would guarantee their qualification for the round of 16 in the tournament.
