Anthony Gordon drops major fitness admission ahead of England’s Euro 2024 opener v Serbia

Gareth Southgate’s side head to Germany as one of the pre-tournament favourites to win Euro 2024, however, they will have to deal with a number of injury concerns ahead of their opening game against Serbia. Luke Shaw and Lewis Dunk both missed the defeat to Iceland at Wembley on Friday, whilst both John Stones and Marc Guehi suffered knocks during the game.

The defeat against Iceland came just one day after Southgate revealed his final 26-man squad, with six players having been cut from his preliminary 33-man squad and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah remaining on standby. Southgate named two Newcastle United players in that final squad, with Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon among the players that will represent the Three Lions in Germany.

Trippier started both warm-up games at left-back and is expected to start there again on Sunday in Shaw’s absence. Gordon, meanwhile, missed out completely at St James’ Park, but started at Wembley on Friday night. 

The 23-year-old missed the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina after suffering an ankle injury against Manchester United in Newcastle’s penultimate Premier League game of the season and Gordon has since admitted he had barely kicked a ball since that day. Asked if he will start in their Euro 2024 opener, Gordon responded: “I hope so. That’s the first time I’ve kicked a ball really for four weeks so I just wanted to run to go into the tournament feeling fit and feeling fresh.”

England’s clash with Serbia at the Veltins-Arena kicks-off at 8pm (BST) on Sunday 16 June.