England team news leaked vs Spain as Southgate snubs trio for Euro final | Football | Sport
England boss Gareth Southgate has reportedly decided to leave out three stars from his starting XI to face Spain in the Euro 2024 final. The Three Lions manager is poised to name an unchanged lineup for their European Championship showdown at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, leaving Ollie Watkins, Cole Palmer and Luke Shaw out of the side.
Watkins stole the headlines with a heroic cameo from the bench during the semi-final, coming onto the pitch in the 81st minute after Southgate gambled in bringing off his captain Harry Kane.
It paid off just nine minutes later when Watkins fired a stunning low drive past Bart Verbruggen into the bottom corner to send England into the final.
But according to widespread media reports including The Telegraph, the Aston Villa striker is set to be left on the bench again along with Chelsea star Palmer, who also came on and set up the goal with a neat through ball. Shaw is also set to miss out on a starting spot despite proving his fitness.
Southgate has been urged to drop Kane, who is in contention for the Euro 2024 golden boot with three goals in six games, following a string of lacklustre displays at the front of the England attack.
However, the 53-year-old has been reluctant to make drastic changes to his starting team throughout the tournament and is not likely to start now before the biggest match of his eight-year reign.
Watkins has already addressed his frustration in being limited to just two substitute appearances during the tournament, despite scoring 19 goals and assisting 13 in the Premier League.
“Recently I have obviously got a bit frustrated. I don’t like to be on the bench, I have had the best season of my career,” Watkins said in the post-match news conference after the Netherlands win.
“A few friends messaged me and said ‘be patient’, and the amount of people who messaged me tonight saying I would score when I come on was ridiculous. Hopefully they can do the same for the final or give me the lottery numbers.”
Southgate is also expected to retain his faith in Kieran Trippier, who is set to keep his place over Shaw as he did against the Netherlands in Wednesday’s 2-1 semi-final victory. Shaw is fit again after missing several months of action with a hamstring injury and made a substitute appearances against Switzerland and the Dutch, putting him in contention to start the final.
But the long-serving England boss is apparently not convinced enough to change the team after spotting a recent improvement in their performance since switching to a 3-4-2-1 formation.
That means Trippier, 33, will start at left-wing back, with Bukayo Saka on the other flank, with Jordan Pickford in goal and the back three consisting of Kyle Walker, John Stones and Marc Guehi.
In midfield, Declan Rice will sit in a deeper holding midfield role alongside Kobbie Mainoo. Kane will spearhead the frontline with Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham just behind him as No 10s.
Likely England starting XI to face Spain (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Trippier; Foden, Bellingham; Kane.
