England manager Gareth Southgate has made only one change in his lineup from last time out, the group stage finale against Slovenia. The starting XI is in for the knockout round clash versus Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen. Kobbie Mainoo is in for Conor Gallagher while Kieran Trippier has passed the fitness test required to start.
Ready for the Round of 16! ? pic.twitter.com/PmveLPu4hE
— England (@England) June 30, 2024
Mainoo really turned some heads, last time out, in the half that he played.
And now at age 19 years and 72 days, he becomes the youngest England player to make his first EURO start for England in a knockout round match. So let’s see if he makes the most of it. In other Manchester United related news, full-back Luke Shaw is actually fit enough to make a place on the bench.
It had been thought the left back was too injured to feature at any point of this tournament.
These days, any time Shaw is fit, it’s headline news. Let’s see if Southgate actually brings him on for a potential cameo later.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also 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.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.