GARETH SOUTHGATE will be keeping tabs on Mason Greenwood, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka in the FA Cup semi-finals when he attends his first matches since lockdown.
The England boss has been given the all clear by the FA to attend the semi-final clashes between Manchester United and Chelsea, and Man City and Arsenal.
Southgate is set to attend the FA Cup semi-final clashesCredit: Reuters
Mason Greenwood is on the England boss’ radarCredit: Getty – Contributor
Southgate has been watching his England aces from the comfort of his North Yorkshire home.
But according to The Daily Mail, he is set to venture to Wembley next weekend to evaluate the players up close, as preparations heat up for September’s UEFA Nations League games Iceland and Denmark.
The Premier League has had to curb the number of scouts and future opposition managers at matches but the sheer size of Wembley and the fact that it falls outside the jurisdiction of the Prem’s match-day protocols has enabled Southgate to attend.
The Three Lions gaffer is keen to familiarise himself with the exciting crop of youngsters coming through the ranks as he predicts a reshuffling of the squad for next year’s European Championship – which was set to take place this summer.
Southgate’s head has been turned by United’s Greenwood, 18 – who has been dubbed as the Red Devil’s new wonderkid.
And manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, reckons his protégé is ready for the England team.
Greenwood has shot through the ranks at Old Trafford and this season he has found the net 15 times, including three in his last two matches.
Man City rival Phil Foden, 20, even reckons that Greenwood is the best finisher he has ever seen.
the Etihad ace has also emerged as one of England’s top talents on the big stage and was said to already be in Southgate’s plans.
Foden has enjoyed a string of hugely impressive performances under Pep Guardiola, featuring six times and scoring four goals since football returned from lockdown.
Arsenal starlet Bukayo Saka, 18, has been one of the club’s best players this season since breaking through from the youth set-up.
He recently nabbed his first Premier League goal with an excellent finish at Wolves which proved to be the winner.
And if he carries on like that, the postponement of Euro 2020 could prove to be a blessing in disguise for Saka, who offers Southgate plenty of quality in a number of areas.
The England manager has reportedly kept in touch with several Three Lions aces over recent months, but has no plans to address them as a squad until September.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
