Trent Alexander-Arnold has suffered Euros heartbreak after being ruled out for up to six weeks.
Liverpool full back Alexander-Arnold went for a scan on a thigh injury on Thursday after limping off in the friendly with Austria on Wednesday night.
It is a devastating blow for Alexander-Arnold who had fought so hard to make the 26 man squad only to suffer the injury just ten days before the tournament.
The Football Association have confirmed Alexander-Arnold will miss the tournament and said Gareth Southgate will name a replacement after Sunday’s game with Romania.
The FA issued a statement which said: “Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out of UEFA EURO 2020.
“The Liverpool player sustained a thigh injury in the closing stages of Wednesday’s 1-0 win against Austria in Middlesbrough.
“A scan on Thursday confirmed the 22-year-old will be unable to play in the forthcoming tournament so has withdrawn from the England squad to return to his club for rehabilitation.
“Gareth Southgate will not confirm a replacement until after Sunday’s return to the Riverside Stadium for the warm-up fixture against Romania.”
James Ward-Prowse or Jesse Lingard are favourites to replace Alexander-Arnold in the squad.
It is a painful irony for Southgate who was heavily criticised for including four right backs in his squad for the Euros with Alexander-Arnold under the spotlight because he was left out of March’s qualifiers.
Southgate gave Alexander-Arnold huge assurances that he was going to include him and then a big vote of confidence by starting him against Austria in the penultimate warm-up game before the Euros.
Alexander-Arnold then suffered the injury in the dying stages of the game when making a clearance and has been told his tournament is over.
Specialists have told him the injury will take between four to six weeks to heal and that will be a devastating blow for the 22-year-old.
Southgate can call up a replacement with six of the seven players cut from the original provisional squad still with the England set-up.
The most likely is Lingard or Ward-Prowse as Southgate looks set to move away from using another right back but can make the switch under UEFA rules because it is a fresh injury.
Manchester United midfielder Lingard could be in the frame after starting against Austria and impressing.
But Southampton ’s midfielder Ward-Prowse is also a set piece specialist and was very close to being included in the squad with England set to announce the addition.
Who should Southgate call up to replace Alexander-Arnold? Have your say below.
