Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
JOE KRISHNAN

England squad train with rubber chicken ahead of Euro 2020 qualifier with Montenegro

Gareth Southgate was able to oversee a full squad training session as England reported no new injuries ahead of their trip to Montenegro.

After having to deal with various withdrawals since the squad was announced, Southgate saw all 20 of the remaining players train at St George's Park before flying to Podgorica on Sunday afternoon.

Spirits were high in the England camp after the 5-0 demolition of the Czech Republic on Friday night, where Raheem Sterling scored his first international hat-trick.

The squad were pictured laughing and joking amongst each other, passing around a rubber chicken in a game of dodgeball - just as they did in the 2018 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals.

Harry Kane, who netted from the penalty spot at Wembley on Friday, was one of those heavily involved in the game.

Declan Rice jokes with his England team-mates after winning his first cap against Czech Republic Photo: PA

However, his Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier has travelled back to his club after picking up an injury following a robust challenge in the first half.

The 25-year-old became the latest casualty when he suffered a muscular problem in Friday's 5-0 win at home to Czech Republic.

Having originally named a 25-man squad for the two qualifiers, Southgate is left with just 20 players for the clash against Montenegro, who drew 1-1 with Bulgaria on Thursday.

Fabian Delph, Marcus Rashford, Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Luke Shaw have all been ruled out through injury.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.