Unfair to rule out Jordan Henderson but he has missed lot of football, asserts Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate has given an update on Jordan Henderson's fitness and believes that while it's unfair to rule out the midfielder, he may not be a 100% match fit for the tournament. England kicks off their Euro 2020 campaign Croatia before they face Scotland and the Czech Republic in Group D.
Jordan Henderson has been an integral part of England’s squad since well before their 2018 World Cup campaign but the Englishman thrived for the Three Lions at the quadrennial tournament. His performances showcased his skills on the field as well as the fact that he's, both, a leader on and off the field for England and Liverpool. It's why, despite him being injured, Henderson has been included in Gareth Southgate's 26 man squad for the Euro 2020.
However, with the Liverpool captain not playing since mid-February, there are concerns about his match-fitness and whether or not, Henderson can play the full 90 minutes at the tournament. But while England do have several midfield options, it saw Gareth Southgate admit that while there is no doubting Henderson's influence on the squad, he also hasn't played for three months and that is a concern. The England boss also added that everyone's being realistic with them looking to get him fit enough for start of the Euros.
"I don’t think it would be fair to rule him out of it but I think it’s clear to everyone how much football he’s missed. The timelines are getting more difficult with each training session he might miss. But I’m being very realistic about what’s possible here. It’s a decision we took to select Henderson because we have been able to take extra players and we feel he is such an important influence around the place. If we can get him close to being able to contribute on the pitch against Croatia that will be a real bonus at the moment," Southgate said, reported Goal.