Euro 2020: England and Scotland welcome back key defenders Harry Maguire and Kieran Tierney for crunch Wembley fixture
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Published 17/06/2021 at 22:03 GMT
“Harry [Maguire] will be involved tomorrow, the decision we have got to make is whether he is ready to start,” said England manager Gareth Southgate in his media conference ahead of the Group D fixture against neighbours Scotland. Steve Clarke's side have also been handed a huge fitness boost with the news that Arsenal's Kieran Tierney is fit to start after recovering from a calf injury.
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England and Scotland have both been handed fitness boosts with the confirmation that both Harry Maguire and Kieran Tierney will be fit to play some sort of role in the Group D fixture at Wembley Stadium on Friday evening.
England centre-back Maguire missed the opening 1-0 win over Croatia as he continues his comeback from an ankle problem picked up playing for Manchester United in May.
But Gareth Southgate says that Maguire has recovered well and is available for Friday’s game against Scotland.
“Harry will be involved tomorrow, the decision we have got to make is whether he is ready to start,” Southgate said.
“We are really pleased with his progress, he has trained with the team for four or five days now and had no reaction. Each session he is involved in he gets more confident. He is on a really good path.”
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England’s Group D opponents Scotland have also been handed a boost with the news that Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney has been passed fit for the game.
Tierney, who often plays on the left of a back-three for Steve Clarke’s side, was ruled out of the Scots’ opening loss to the Czech Republic with a calf problem.
And, with Scotland likely needing a positive result against the ‘auld enemy’ to avoid an early exit from the tournament, the return of Tierney has come just in time.
"It's good news for Kieran, good news for us and the Scottish supporters," Clarke said.
"Hopefully we can back all that up with a good result. He has trained fully the last two days, so he is available for the whole game."
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Kieran Tierney missed Scotland's defeat to Czech Republic
Image credit: Getty Images
Fellow Scotland international Scott McTominay says that the presence of Tierney in the side will be huge for the team’s gameplan and confidence against England.
"It's a big deal, we need him back, he's a top player we want back in the team," said Manchester United's McTominay.
"He's someone we need and rely on a lot in terms of what he brings to the squad. He's a big personality, a great character within the group."
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