Several jaws fell to the floor last Sunday when English coach Gareth Southgate chose to leave Jadon Sancho from his 23-man squad for the Three Lions’ opening Euro 2020 match against Croatia.
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Three players had to miss from England’s 26-man camp, granted, but it was still a surprise to see Sancho – who enjoyed another outstanding season for Borussia Dortmund – sideways alongside Ben Chilwell and the injured Harry Maguire.
But even though the 21-year-old may have been ruled out for that particular game, it is unlikely that he will be in the same position for the crisis Group D collision against Scotland.
Southgate’s men were able to seal their passage in the quarterfinals with victory, and there is a growing expectation that changes will take place in staff. Reece James is expected to come on the right side of the defense, while it is also believed that Luke Shaw – after a fantastic season with Manchester United – will replace Kieran Trippier on the left.
In the future, Southgate is more likely to keep things in view of how impressive Kalvin Phillips, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden were against Croatia. But against the shots, Southgate is aware that he will need a different type of threat from the bench, given that Sterling and Foden tend to prefer to cut into their opposition backs, and that’s something Sancho offers in abundance.
Raheem Sterling made England’s winner against Croatia in Three Lions opening match at Euro 2020 / Chloe Knott – Danehouse / Getty Images
When Foden and Sterling tend to use half the space to create space, Sancho will stretch the game and get down on the edge to cause trouble for Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney. His pace is well documented, but his lure, technical ability, crossing and calm on the ball are other strong areas in his game.
In fact, width could be the key to the game, given that Scotland are likely to line up with back five. The foot and Sterling may be limited in terms of space, and the introduction of Sancho – a completely different proposal – after half time can change the game’s skin.
Returning one of Scotland’s biggest threats to Robertson is certainly a plan from the first whistle, but should Foden start on the right – as expected – it is very likely that the Liverpool hill will be able to drift on another five to ten meters up the field, with knowing that Tierney is there to provide protection.
Sancho contributed directly to 20 Bundesliga goals last season / THOMAS KIENZLE / Getty Images
There will also be a persistent duo of Scott McTominay and John McGinn, who want to come in and provide a shield for the backline when Scotland are away, so the Liverpool man can walk.
Robertson is probably his country’s most attacking outlet, so Sancho with a certain capacity can have a huge impact at both ends of the field. Given that he prefers to go down on the wing and beat his man for pace, the 27-year-old Robertson has to think twice before committing, especially since England defender James also loves to venture forward.
It could cause an unwelcome doubling of Scotland, limiting Robertson’s confidence in leaving Tierney to do most of the defensive work.
To highlight Sancho’s threat, he scored eight Bundesliga goals and provided 12 assists for Borussia Dortmund, while his results over the past three years read an impressive 92 games played, with 37 goals scored and a further 41 assisted.
Sancho could be key against Scotland if England need a goal / ADRIAN DENNIS / Getty Images
These are not average statistics, they are statistics for a player with a great ability to influence games and make things happen. Manchester United’s two-year quest for him in the transfer market also testifies to that.
Some claim that Sancho has been overlooked for not playing in the Premier League week in, week out, but it is very unlikely that Southgate will pay tribute to him again. Instead, he could play a key role as England prepare to host their arch-international foe for the first time in a major tournament since Euro 96 – when Paul Gascoigne scored the iconic goal to secure a 2-0 victory for Wembley.
