Gareth Southgate hands Luke Shaw injury update with Kobbie Mainoo to start

Gareth Southgate has handed Manchester United an update on Luke Shaw, with Kobbie Mainoo set to start for England against Slovakia on Sunday afternoon.

England finished the group stage of the 2024 European Championships as winners of Group C with five points, though their performances left much to be desired.

Manchester United‘s promising youngster, Kobbie Mainoo, played just 52 minutes across the three games against Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia, while Luke Shaw did not feature at all due to injury.

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England secured a 1-0 win in their opening match against Serbia, followed by a lacklustre 1-1 draw against Denmark, and concluded with a dull 0-0 draw against Slovenia. Mainoo came on at halftime during the draw with Slovenia, and Gareth Southgate’s side looked noticeably better with him on the pitch.

Following this, news on Friday and Saturday from multiple reports explained that, in light of his performance earlier this week, Mainoo will now start for England alongside Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice in midfield.

Many fans have been crying out for this change, including legends such as Gary Neville and Roy Keane, who believe that Mainoo will allow England to play better football.

Meanwhile, Southgate also handed a fresh update on Shaw, explaining that although he is not fit to start, he may be able to come off the bench. Shaw has not played football since mid-February.

“Luke wouldn’t be available to start [tomorrow],” Southgate told the media on Saturday evening.

“We’ll have a chat with the medical team, see whether he can play a part, or whether he could do with a little bit more training first.”

England will kick off against Slovakia in the round of 16 on Sunday afternoon at 17:00 BST.

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