England manager Gareth Southgate has reportedly decided whether Luke Shaw or Kieran Trippier will start Wednesday's Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.
The Three Lions were not able to call upon Shaw for their first four fixtures of the competition, as the Manchester United man recovered from the serious muscular problem he sustained in February.
Shaw recently revealed that he was due to return for either the Denmark or Slovenia group-stage clashes, but a setback forced him to delay his comeback as Southgate faced huge criticism for his decision to call up the left-back.
Newcastle United right-back Trippier has started all five of England's games on the left flank, but his displays have been met with mixed reviews, and Shaw made his belated return to action in the quarter-final win over Switzerland.
In his first international match since June 2023, the ex-Southampton left-back made an impression with his characteristic overlapping runs on a side where England have been singled out for a lack of threat throughout the Euros.
© Reuters
Shaw 'to start on bench' for Netherlands semi-final
Shaw told the press on Monday that he was fit and ready to start and play the full 90 at the Signal Iduna Park, but despite his admission, Southgate reportedly feels differently.
According to Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett, the Three Lions boss will stick with Trippier at left wing-back for the semi-final, as Shaw takes his place on the bench once again.
While Shaw has declared himself OK to complete a full match, Southgate apparently harbours concerns about his ability to last 90 minutes and also favours Trippier's defensive nous.
Southgate unsurprisingly gave little away when asked about his selection plans in his Tuesday press conference, but he hinted that he would persist with Trippier, talking up the 33-year-old's contributions to the national team over the years.
"Luke Shaw has been injured for four months, it wasn't a possibility for him to play until the last match where he made a good contribution to the game," the 53-year-old said.
Excl: Luke Shaw expected to remain on the bench for the start of #england's big semi-final v #netherlands with Kieran Trippier in line to keep his place at left wing back. Southgate thinks Trippier's
— Rob Dorsett (@RobDorsettSky) July 9, 2024
defensive prowess could be vital and has doubts whether Shaw could last 90mins.
"We have to decide if he is ready to start and whether that is the best way to use him but we are very happy to have him back. He gives us a different balance to the team, but Kieran Trippier has done a fantastic job.
"He has had many important nights with us over the last seven or eight years. He's great around the squad, how he is with the rest of the players and the staff, and we are very fortunate to have players like him in our squad."
Is starting Trippier over Shaw the right decision?
News of Southgate snubbing Shaw will naturally come as a disappointment to some, as the 28-year-old provides a consistent threat down the left when fully fit and showed as much during his quarter-final cameo.
While Southgate takes a lot of flak for his conservative approach, the 53-year-old is arguably in the right when it comes to this safe call, as Shaw is a player who no chances can be taken over given his perennial fitness problems.
After nearly five months on the sidelines, building up his minutes gradually is the right course of action, and erring on the side of caution would also give Shaw the best chance possible of starting the final, if England get there.
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