Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is doubtful about the injury for England’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine, but new Manchester United star Jadon Sancho is expected to get his first start in the tournament, while Chelsea’s Mason Mount can also be recalled.
Sancho, despite yet another impressive season for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, has only played six minutes for England so far in the tournament and was completely bizarrely away from the match day squad for the opening match against Croatia last month.
But with Saka breastfeeding a minor training injury before the crunch match against Ukraine in Rome, Sancho would be considered likely to start in his place on the right.
Saka have started each of England’s last two matches against the Czech Republic and Germany, but manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that the teenager has a “slight knock” and will be re-evaluated before the match to see if he is fit enough to play.
Bukayo Saka Is An Injury Doubt Due To A Knock In Exercise / Carl Recine – Pool / Getty Images
But with The Athletic reporting that Sancho will start, it is a logical assumption that Saka will not do so and the replacement would be similar for similar replacements.
England have no other fitness problems ahead of the game. Mount missed against Germany after a week of training in isolation due to COVID-19 protocol but could be in conflict with returning to start XI, with England tipped off by several sources to change formation.
Southgate chose a 3-4-3 system against Germany but is now expected to return to full back, which would allow him to select an extra midfielder along with Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice.
Predicted England lineup against Ukraine (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones Maguire, Shaw; Phillips, rice, Mount; Sancho, Kane, Sterling
Mason Mount is struggling to start after missing the last two games / Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Southgate has already said that his choice of team against Ukraine will not be governed by fears that players will be suspended. Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and the aforementioned Phillips and Rice all have yellow cards and could risk missing a potential semi-final.
Yellow cards are wiped out after the quarterfinals, which means that no player can be suspended for the final due to accumulated bookings. Only a red card in the semi-final would force a player to miss the final by suspension.
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