ENGLAND have beaten a stubborn Austria side in a match overshadowed by a potential injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Liverpool right-back limped off in the closing stages, leaving England to see out the game with ten men.
But Jesse Lingard took his opportunity to give Gareth Southgate food for thought after the Three Lions boss refused to call him up to his squad.
The West Ham loanee threaded a brilliant ball through for Jack Grealish and in the resulting scramble, Bukayo Saka tapped into an empty net.
THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT
England cruise to victory in their first warm-up game ahead of Euro 2020.
Romania are up next on Sunday and the Riverside Stadium will host the game again.
It looked like Southgate’s men were going to get through tonight’s game unscathed.
But Alexander-Arnold picked up an injury clearing the ball and he needed assistance as he walked down the touchline. Not looking good!
Goodnight.
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England boast the most-valuable squad of all Euro 2020 nations BUK OF THE NET
GARETH SOUTHGATE spent plenty of time praising Bukayo Saka’s ability to lift a struggling team when he named the Arsenal teenager in his Euros squad.
And the 19-year-old certainly rescued a shoddy England side in Middlesbrough on Wednesday night as he justified his selection for the tournament with his first international goal.
Saka has carried the poorest Gunners side in living memory throughout much of their miserable campaign – his maturity as well as his versatility earning him Southgate’s trust.
And the England boss needed Saka to save him for a morale-sapping result as a makeshift Three Lions side produced an error-strewn performance which saw Trent Alexander-Arnold hobble off through injury late on and could easily have ended in defeat.
Read More: England 1 Austria 0 Match Report
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ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Here’s England’s possible Path to the Euro 2020 final.
How England’s path to Euros glory could look SOUTHGATE SPEAKS
Southgate spoke to ITV after the game and gave his thoughts on Alexander-Arnold’s injury: “We’re going to have a little look. It’s obviously not good to see him come off in the way he did.
“We’re just going to have to assess him in the next 24 hours. I think it’s a thigh injury, but the medical team are assessing him.
“We just have to see. It’s not a good sign to see him walk off as he did, but will know more in the next 24 or 48 hours.
“Let’s see how Trent is, and we’ll go from there. We don’t know the full extent.”
GREALISH ON ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
Grealish spoke to ITV after the game and he is hoping Alexander-Arnold is ok.
But admitted that it doesn’t look great.
FT: ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
England upped the tempo at the start of the second half and they got their reward in the 56th minute.
Kane found Lingard on the edge of Austria’s penalty area, and the Man Utd midfielder played a good first-time pass into Grealish.
Sabitzer managed to poke the ball away from England’s No10, but consequently into the path of Saka at the back post.
And the Arsenal youngster tapped home into an empty net.
Bad news for Southgate as Alexander-Arnold appears to have picked up an injury off the ball.
The Liverpool right-back cleared the ball up the pitch and he felt something go.
He needed help walking down the touchline and down the tunnel.
Injuries is something Southgate would have wanted to avoid heading into this summer’s tournament, but it’s struck at the wrong time.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE GOES AT THE RIVERSIDE STADIUM!
ENGLAND WIN!
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
90+1. OFF THE LINE!
Friedl delivers a wonderful ball into England’s penalty area from the right-hand side.
Pickford comes out to punch the ball clear, but the England keeper collides with Godfrey and the ball falls to Schaub.
The Austrian sends a shot on goal but White clears off the line!
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
90. The fourth official holds his board up and there will be three additional minutes played at the end of the second half.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
89. Alexander-Arnold cannot continue and he’s been taking off – it doesn’t look good. Injuries are what Southgate wants to avoid.
And it’s back luck considering all the rumours that have been circling this week about him potentially being left out of the squad.
He’s being assisted down the touchline, it really doesn’t look great for Alexander-Arnold.
England down to ten men.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
88. CLOSE!
A wonderful cross is whipped into the penalty area from out wide on the right-hand side.
Gregoritsch gets up well to meet the cross, but he heads the ball agonisingly wide of the far post! Has to do better there.
He was completely unmarked.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
87. YELLOW CARD!
Alexander-Arnold has been booked for not getting off the pitch, even though he hasn’t exactly done anything wrong.
A substitution hasn’t been made yet.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
85. YELLOW CARD!
Hinteregger is booked for his reaction towards the referee after a foul went against him.
Alexander-Arnold is also moving rather gingerly close to the touchline, it looks like he has picked up a knock of some kind.
Hopefully it’s just a knock, but he’s holding his left leg and he has asked not to continue.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
83. Austria will fancy their chances in the final few minutes of the game.
England has a couple of debutants on the pitch, and Austria have the chance to apply some pressure.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
81. We’re eating into the final ten minutes of the game, and England are comfortably in control of the game.
But all it takes is one chance and Austria could find themselves back on level terms.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
80. SAVE!
The ball breaks to Sabitzer 35 yards from goal, and the No9 gets a venomous strike off.
The ball swerves in the air almost wrong-footing Pickford, but the keeper manages to save!
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
78. England are just edging the game in the possession department, 52 per cent to Austria’s 48.
And the Three Lions have the all-important goal.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
76. CHANCE!
Saka plays a beautiful ball in behind Austria’s backline for Calvert-Lewin to run onto.
The forward gets to the byline and drills the ball across the face of goal hoping to find Watkins.
But the Villa striker wasn’t on the same page.
Watkins recovers the ball and plays the ball into the path of Ward-Prowse, who tees up White.
The debutant connects well with the ball but his effort goes just wide of the far post!
Bellingham in actionCredit: GETTY IMAGES ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
74. CLOSE!
The corner whizzes across the face of the goal and lucky avoided Friedl at the back post!
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
74. Friedl receives the ball off RB Leipzig’s Sabitzer.
And the No26 shifts the ball onto his right foot and gets a shot off, but his effort deflects behind for a corner.
Good chance for Austria to fashion a chance.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
72. Grealish is getting some treatment whilst he’s sat on the bench – it looks like he’s getting an icepack for his shin.
Hopefully it’s nothing too serious. Well, it can’t be considering he’s juts completed 70 minutes.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
70. SUBSTITUTION!
Another England debut, Ben White of Brighton comes on for Grealish and it looks like England are changing shape.
Southgate is changing to a back three, testing it out before Euro 2020. It’s good to be able to change your approach mid-game.
ENGLAND 1-0 AUSTRIA
69. Jack Grealish finds himself in some room down the left-hand side.
And the attacking midfielder sends a driven cross across the face of goal towards the back post.
But no-one was there to tap home.
Saka pounces and scoresCredit: GETTY IMAGES Saka shows what he can do before Euro 2020Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
