JACK GREALISH’S absence from every England teamsheet at Euro 2020 has stuck out like a sore thumb.
And that might be because the Aston Villa captain has been nursing a secret injury ever since he came across Tottenham’s Japhet Tanganga in May.
Grealish, 25, has become the national team’s poster boy this summer, despite just ten caps following his senior debut last September.
The playmaker played a part in both goals in the 2-0 win over Germany and is in line for his second start of the Euros against Ukraine.
But Grealish has admitted to playing through the pain barrier to star for the Three Lions – and it has nothing to do with the troublesome shin injury he battled last term.
England’s No7 has been playing with a bandaged hand in his three games so far following a rough challenge in Villa’s 2-1 win over Spurs on May 19.
Asked about the injury, Grealish said: “[Japhet] Tanganga from Tottenham threw me on the floor and I broke my thumb.”
On whether it had healed, the attacker showed reporters how bent his thumb was and added: “It’s still like that a little bit isn’t it?”
Despite only starting once for Gareth Southgate this tournament, Grealish has become England’s most-fouled player.
Yet the former Notts County loanee alleviated any fears of damaging his thumb any further by revealing the biggest drawback has been the lack of time on the PlayStation.
Quizzed on how England players spend their downtime in camp, Grealish said: “From what the guys have said they set up a lot of stuff but I suppose it is just the normal, Netflix and Playstation…
“I can’t actually play at the moment because I have broken my thumb.
“I have had to knock it on the head a little bit at the moment so I can’t play.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
