ENGLAND have been dealt a mega blow ahead of Euro 2020 with Trent Alexander-Arnold ruled out of the tournament.
The Liverpool star limped off during the Three Lions’ 1-0 victory over Austria.
Meanwhile Cristiano Ronaldo can break a whole host of records this summer.
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Follow all of the latest news, build up and updates below…
VER-Y CLOSE TO RETURN
Italy are confident that Marco Verratti will be able to feature in Euro 2020 after including him in the final squad list for the tournament.
Ahead of Italy’s upcoming international friendly fixture against the Czech Republic, Mancini provided another key update regarding Verratti’s notable injury.
As quoted by FIGC’s official website, he said: “Marco Verratti is making giant strides. We will assess the situation next week.”
Verratti will have to accelerate his injury recovery process if he aspires to feature in Italy’s opening Euro 2020 group stage fixture against Turkey next week.
If he is unable to go for this match, Italy team officials will then look towards its fixture against Switzerland to see whether Verratti will be able to finally make his tournament debut.
NOT TRENT TO BE
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out of Euro 2020 and will depart England’s camp on Thursday night.
A medical assessment earlier in the day revealed that the Liverpool defender, 22, had suffered a grade two quad tear during England’s 1-0 friendly win over Austria.
The scan confirmed the devastated defender’s worst fears and he will now withdraw from England’s squad for the tournament. He faces a recovery period of between four to six weeks.
Southgate is expected to call up an additional player to replace Alexander-Arnold in England’s 26-man squad.
Jesse Lingard, James Ward-Prowse, Ollie Watkins, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben Godfrey and Ben White were all cut from England’s Euro 2020 squad earlier this week.
Records Ronaldo could break at EURO 2020
Most finals campaigns
Seventeen men have appeared in four EURO tournaments, beginning with Lothar Matthäus and Peter Schmeichel back in 2000.
Ronaldo is among them and he will strike out alone if he features this summer. He is the last man standing of the 11 who notched up number four in 2016.
Most finals goals
Ronaldo marked his EURO debut against Greece on 12 June 2004 with a goal – his first for Portugal! – and has since registered eight more across 21 finals appearances.
A tally of nine means he heads into UEFA EURO 2020 level with France’s Michel Platini, whose goals all came at EURO ’84.
Most appearances (including qualifying)
Ronaldo needs three more appearances to surpass Gianluigi Buffon’s all-time high of 58 appearances in EURO competition, qualifying and finals – the 36-year-old could end the tournament on 63 matches.
His 56 to date have resulted in 36 wins, 12 draws and eight defeats.
58 Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
56 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
51 Mario Frick (Liechtenstein)Oldest scorer in a final
Just one player aged over 30 has scored in a EURO final.
Bernd Hölzenbein was 30 years and 103 days old when he headed West Germany’s late equaliser against Czechoslovakia in 1976 to prompt extra time and, ultimately, a penalty shoot-out win.
Ronaldo will be aged 36 years and 156 days on 11 July, date of the EURO 2020 decider.
‘SELFISH’
Former England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Jordan Henderson’s failure to step aside from the Euro 2020 squad due to his current injury situation.
The Liverpool skipper has not played since mid-February after picking up a groin problem, but was one of several recovering players named in England’s final 26-man group by Gareth Southgate on Tuesday afternoon.
He told talkSPORT: “The thing that is really winding me up is the Henderson thing.
“He should just be honest with the manager now and say: ‘You know what, I am struggling here. I’m a leader and a captain in myself, I’ll do the right thing for the squad’.
“Bring in whoever you have to bring in as another central midfielder because this injury is playing up now. I think [Henderson] is being selfish.
“If you look at it, the squad has been announced and he told Southgate he is not fit. They said the scans have come back and they’re fine, but he knows himself that there is a niggle he is feeling.
“The tournament starts in ten days, you are playing against Croatia, playing against a good team. You need to be at it, you need a training session before the game, you need some games in you.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
