Some great news for Manchester United fans today, relating to the England national team, and it comes before a ball has even been kicked. Central defender Harry Maguire, United team captain, is now fully match fit, and back and in the team tonight.
He’ll be back on the bench, as John Stones and Tyrone Mings are set to keep their place in the first team. Still, this is massive news, as Maguire’s ankle ligament injury kept him out of competition for close to six weeks.
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— England (@England) June 12, 2021
England boss Gareth Southgate said that Harry Maguire “will be involved” when his side faces Scotland tonight in their second Euro group stage match. It’s the next edition of the longest running rivalry in all of world football, with the two sides first meeting in 1872.
Said Harry Maguire: “I’m available to the manager for selection [for England]. I’ve done a few sessions and feel like my fitness is there.” Southgate won’t immediately throw Maguire into the mix for this very spirited match, which is set to be played under less than ideal conditions on a slippery pitch.
However, he definitely does want and need to get Maguire back at full throttle for the knockout round. England would qualify for the round of 16 tonight with a victory over their border rivals, who opened their Euros campaign with a 2-0 loss to Czech Republic a week ago.
On the opposite side, Harry Maguire is expected to see his club teammate Scott McTominay (a man who has a first name matching his international affiliation) in the starting XI.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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