KIERAN TRIPPIER is set to keep his place in the England team for Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
The Three Lions face Spain tomorrow on what promises to be an historic night in Berlin.
Now SunSport can reveal to you that we understand Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate will resist calls to pick Luke Shaw at left-back.
That is despite the Manchester United left-back replacing Trippier off the bench in the semi-final win over the Netherlands.
Trippier was withdrawn at half-time of the game in Dortmund due to a precaution following a recent groin injury, but is fit enough to start the Berlin showpiece.
It means that Southgate will pick an unchanged team from Wednesday.
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Manchester City duo Kyle Walker, John Stones and Marc Guehi once again expected to start in the back-three.
Bukayo Saka will remain on the right with Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice starting together in midfield for the fourth game running.
Southgate is also set to stick with Harry Kane despite his recent struggles.
And the captain will be supported by Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in attack.
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But semi-final matchwinner Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer, who assisted the Aston Villa striker’s injury-time strike, will have to settle for a place on the bench despite their heroics in Dortmund.
Shaw, who scored in the last European Championship final against Italy, and Trippier both played half the game each in the semi-final victory over Holland.
Trippier has been nursing a calf strain and Shaw is yet to play over 45 minutes at the tournament so far having only returned from his long injury lay-off in the quarters against Switzerland.
England’s stars were put through their paces for the last time ahead of the final earlier.
The Three Lions are hoping to end their 58-year wait for glory against Spain.
But all 26 members of the squad were in full training at their luxury base in Blankenhain.
England will leave Blankenhain and head to Berlin at 3:30pm.
They are set to travel to the German capital by coach – not plane – and are expected to arrive in Berlin at 6:30pm.
Southgate and skipper Kane are due to speak to the media at a press conference at 7:45pm.
Meanwhile, England fans are already flooding Berlin ahead of the final.
And over 50,000 Three Lions supporters are predicted to fill the 71,000 Olympiastadion.
Meanwhile, Spain’s birthday boy Lamine Yamal vowed to go straight at either Shaw or Trippier from the off.
The winger, who turned 17 today, has broken record after record this season.
You can say it hasn’t been pretty, but England are in the final… and we’re peaking at just the right time, says Jack Wilshere
AFTER what has been a tough tournament of times, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to end in the best possible way, writes Jack Wilshere.
We might like a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.
Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course Holland would love to be where we are.
People will say we’re lucky because we’re on this side of the draw.
But we won the group. France didn’t and then ran into Spain.
You can say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.
Gareth and his coaches won’t have been happy with some of the performances.
But I did like the way Gareth and his team have dealt with it.
There was no panic coming out of the camp.
Everyone gave the same message: ‘We know we can better, but we’re here still.’
And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play Spain.
They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against Holland to beat them.
We have improved as the tournament has gone on and that is how you win things.
You want to peak in the final.
If Gareth can lead England to that major trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect answer to the critics and a brilliant day for us all.
Read Jack Wilshere’s England vs Holland verdict in full.
Or check out all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euros 2024 opinions…
Now he wants to cap it with just one more – the youngest player to ever win either a European Championship or World Cup.
The Barcelona star is composed but confident – and plays with a simple philosophy, one that Shaw or Trippier must watch out for if they get the nod from Gareth Southgate to start.
Yamal, speaking the day on Friday on the day prior to his 17th birthday, said of facing up a full-back: “The first move conditions the game a lot. If I go past them, it’s there for the match.
“I always think that it’s the full back who has pressure. If I go past him, I’m touching the goal.
“I receive the ball, if I have a one-on-one, I always go for the full back because it’s a very psychological game and if I go for him, he is scared and then I can go for him more and I improvise.
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“They have respect, the full backs don’t go into me much. They try to hold off.
“How am I treated? As a normal player. Opponents especially, I don’t think they will not foul me because I’m 16.”
England vs Spain record
England have played Spain 27 times in total – here is a look at every result…
- May 1929, Spain 4-3 England – International Friendly (L)
- December 1931, England 7-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- July 1950, Spain 1-0 England – World Cup (L)
- May 1955, Spain 1-1 England – International Friendly (D)
- November 1955, England 4-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- May 1960, Spain 3-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- October 1960, England 4-2 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- December 1965, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)
- May 1967, England 2-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- April 1968, England 1-0 Spain – European Championship (W)
- May 1968, Spain 1-2 England – European Championship (W)
- March 1980, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)
- June 1980, England 2-1 Spain – European Championship (W)
- March 1981, England 1-2 Spain – International Friendly (L)
- July 1982, Spain 0-0 England – World Cup (D)
- February 1987, Spain 2-4 England – International Friendly (W)
- September 1992, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- June 1996, England 0(4)-(2)0 Spain – European Championship (W)
- February 2001, England 3-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- November 2004, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- February 2007, England 0-1 Spain – International Friendly (L)
- February 2009, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- November 2011, England 1-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- November 2015, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- November 2016, England 2-2 Spain – International Friendly (D)
- September 2018, England 1-2 Spain – Nations League (L)
- October 2018, Spain 2-3 England – Nations League (W)
Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
