England boss Gareth Southgate will be handed a nightmare scenario if Tottenham Hotspur beat Ajax to seal their spot in the Champions League final.
The Lilywhites trail their Dutch opponents 1-0 heading into the second leg in Amsterdam, as they seek to turn the tie on its head to seal a spot in next month’s final alongside Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who dramatically knocked out Barcelona on Tuesday.
That is an issue for Three Lions boss Southgate, due to the UEFA Nations League finals, and the problem will be multiplied if Spurs also seal a trip to Madrid.
England’s Nations League semi-final against Holland is set to be played on June 6th, just five days after the Champions League final on June 1st, while Southgate’s men also play on the 9th - which will either be in the final or in a third-place playoff.
That could mean that the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier would join the England squad late and Southgate will be watching through gritted teeth, fearing that one of his important players could pick up an injury.
As a result, Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson, Leicester City’s James Maddison and West Ham’s Declan Rice could become important players for the World Cup semi-finalists to fill the voids left by Tottenham’s aces.
Full fixtures for the UEFA Nations League can be found below.
UEFA Nations League fixtures
Wednesday June 5th: Portugal v Switzerland (19:45 GMT)
Thursday June 6th: Holland v England (19:45 GMT)
Sunday June 9th: Third-place play-0ff (TBC)
Sunday June 9th: Final (TBC)
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