GARETH SOUTHGATE has admitted England may face a nightmare build-up to Euro 2024 with a host of big names set to be missing.
With the Champions League final just a fortnight before the first Three Lions match in Germany, players could snub England’s final warm-up friendlies.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, plus Manchester City’s English contingent, are hoping to go all the way in the Champions League.
It means if Pep Guardiola’s side want to retain their title Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, John Stones and Phil Foden could play in the final at Wembley on Saturday, June 1st.
That is just two weeks before England begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on June 16th.
Southgate has organised two pre-Euro friendlies, the first at Newcastle’s St James’s Park on Monday June 3rd and another at Wembley.
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But with the Three Lions stars playing for the top sides in Europe, there could be a few absences during these fixtures.
This could cause major disruption as seen before the previous Euros when Chelsea beat City in the Champions League final in 2021.
And the England boss has confirmed players will not be getting a break after the Premier League term finishes on May 19th.
He said: “We had that, in the Euros, we had that, Chelsea-Man City last time around, so again we’re used to dealing with that.
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“You’d love to have all of the players for all of the prep camps, but that’s not our reality.
“We’ve dealt with that in the past, so we know what it needs to look like.
“It’s important they get some sort of psychological break in between but, of course, the longer they play, the less you can give them is the reality.”
England have landed a relatively comfortable draw on Saturday, facing Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia in Group C of Euro 2024.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
