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Luke Shaw 'fit and ready to go' for England

Luke Shaw, the sole specialist left-back in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, missed the first four matches of the Euros due to a hamstring injury. However, the Manchester United defender made his return as a second-half substitute during England’s quarter-final win over Switzerland and now feels ready to take on a larger role.

“I think I am fit and ready to play 90 minutes,” Shaw stated. “That is Gareth’s decision, but I feel ready to go.”

Shaw's appearance in the 78th minute against Switzerland marked his first competitive match since his injury in February. Although Southgate had hoped Shaw would return during the group stage in Germany, his recovery was slower than anticipated, necessitating Kieran Trippier to cover the left-back position.

“The last four months have been really tough,” Shaw reflected on his injury woes. “I was expected to return sooner, but I faced numerous setbacks. It was great to get some minutes the other night – I’ve been itching to play.

“We initially planned for me to come back around the second or third game, but things didn’t go as planned, and I was delayed. It was challenging, but the support from Gareth, Steve [Holland, England assistant manager], and the medical staff was incredible. I owe them a lot.”

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