Harry Maguire has declared himself fit and ready to start for England against Scotland.
The Manchester United defender has fully recovered from the ankle ligament injury that ruled him out of the end of the season.
Standard Sport revealed on Wednesday that Maguire was winning his race to be included in Friday’s Group D clash at Wembley.
The 28-year-old has recovered ahead of schedule from a high ankle strain, with England’s medical team confident there is no risk in Southgate naming him from the start.
Maguire said: “I feel good. I’ve been training now. Obviously the injury was a setback club football-wise. Internationally I wanted to come into this with a lot of games under my belt with full fitness, but I feel good.
“I’m back available, been training and I’m looking forward to it.
“Obviously its a big game. I’ve done a few sessions now and feel like my fitness is there.
“I don’t feel like there is any risk. Obviously, with any injury you are coming back from - you haven’t played for so long, recurrences don’t very often happen, but they can happen. That’s part and parcel of football.
“You can come back and I could pick up another injury in another part of my body so I think the risk of playing and picking up an injury is just there when you play competitive football.
“In terms of the ankle, I feel like it’s stable and I feel like I’m ready to go. I feel fit and fresh.”
Maguire has not played since damaging ankle ligaments against Aston Villa on May 9, which meant he missed United’s Europa League Final defeat to Villarreal.
While it was painful to sit out that game, Maguire also feared he would not make the Euros.
He added: “I knew the extent of the injury as soon as I got injured. I knew it was going to be pretty serious because it didn’t come from impact or contact. I knew it was a twist straight away so there would be some sort of ligament damage in there.
“Obviously you fear the worst. I feared missing the Europa League final and then obviously the Euros as well. I managed to make this squad, but I wasn’t able to make the Europa League Final, but I’m here now and ready to go.
“It’s about building the confidence every day, and the only way you can do that is by training and playing games. You can do as many rehab sessions as you like, but then you’re not playing that competitive football you can’t build that confidence, especially when it’s an ankle or knee injury.
“So it’s just about more training sessions and games in training, games whenever they come and the confidence will keep going. I’m sure it will niggle me for a few weeks and months.
“I haven’t had one before, but from speaking to players and physics, I’m sure it will be niggling. But as long as its stable and the pain is bearable then I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
