Kieran Trippier concern for Gareth Southgate due to calf issue | OneFootball

Kieran Trippier is a major concern for Gareth Southgate as England prepare to play Slovenia.

The final group game is an 8pm kick-off on Tuesday night.

Sunday has seen both The Telegraph and The Mail report that Kieran Trippier has been carrying a calf injury during the tournament.

They state that Gareth Southgate had been hoping to use the Newcastle United defending sparingly in the early stages of the Euros but with Luke Shaw unavailable, Trippier had to play both the opening matches.

The two newspapers add that at the very least Southgate had wanted to sub Kieran Trippier in one or both matches to limit the strain on him. However, the woeful England performances against both Serbia and Denmark meant the manager couldn’t risk taking him off, with the side very lucky to cling on to the win and a draw, with Serbia and Denmark the far better teams after the break in both matches.

Luke Shaw still isn’t even able to train with the group, so he isn’t an option for Tuesday.

The journalists report that Ezri Konsa or Joe Gomez will be in line to replace Kieran Trippier if he isn’t available or Southgate doesn’t risk him.

There has been ridiculous negativity from some on Trippier in the two games so far, with the lack of attacking threat from him. However, reality is that the big problem is there is nobody in an attacking role in front of the left-back, as Foden disappears inside and leaves the Newcastle man isolated.

Kieran Trippier’s form has actually been one of the few positives, England’s defensive issues have been on the right and through the middle, with Trippier doing well out of position on the left.

If England go through as runners-up, they will play on Saturday 29 June, if winning the group they will play Sunday 30 June. Whilst if they end up one of the four best teams to finish third, England would either play Portugual on Monday 1 July, or an as yet unknown team on Tuesday 2 July.

So if gooing through automatically, the last 16 game coming only four or five days after the Slovenia match.

Newcastle United players on international duty:

Saturday 15 June

Switzerland 3 Hungary 1 (Euros Group match)

The Newcastle United defender with a very good personal performance, playing the full 90 minutes as the Swiss deservedly beat Hungary.

Sunday 16 June

England 1 Serbia 0 (Euros Group match)

England got the job done, eventually.

Anthony Gordon an unused substitute but Kieran Trippier playing the full 90 minutes and doing ok at left-back. His job to stretch things in attack up England’s left hand side, with likes of Foden not willing/able to stay out wide and instead continually drifting inside. With the plan clearly for all of England’s main attacking to be through the middle and especially out wide on the right.

That is where the excellent winning goal came from, a great ball from Walker putting Saka in behind and his deflected cross perfectly then flighted for Bellingham’s pinpoint run into the box and the header giving Serbia’s keeper no chance.

At the other end was Trippier’s main task though and with the rest of the defence he did well, especially after the break when England suddenly went all defensive and invited Serbia to go for the equaliser. The Three Lions offering zero threat in the second-half apart from sub Bowen’s cross where the keeper made a great save but in reality Kane should have given him zero chance with the header.

Pickford only had one shot on target to save all game and whilst the commentator and pundits raved about it, in reality it was from outside the box and straight at him, the England keeper tipping the ball over the bar.

The highlight of Trippier’s performance was when Serbia got into the box on the left and an equaliser beckoned for Serbia with Mitrovic waiting for the ball to be squared for a tap-in. However, the Newcastle defender covering his central defenders had got across and was too strong for Mitro who was sent sprawling  and claiming for a forlorn penalty.

Monday 17 June

Slovakia 1 Belgium 0 (Euros Group match)

Martin Dubravka and his Slovakia teammates pulling off a massive shock, third ranked in the world Belgium beaten by a team ranked 48th.

Schranz scoring after only seven minutes and the Newcastle keeper and his international teammates more than matching Belgium. What a victory.

Wednesday 19 June

Switzerland 1 Scotland 1 (Euros Group match)

Fabian Schar and Switzerland with a nightmare start after 13 minutes, the Newcastle defender deflecting a McTominay shot past his keeper, a shot which would almost for sure have been saved without Schar’s intervention.

The NUFC defender recovering to have another decent game. Helping Switzerland stand up to a very physical but limited Scotland team, Shaqiri with a brilliant 26th minute long range curled into the top corner effort to equalise. The Swiss should have went on to win but wasted a fair few chances and Scotland got lucky with two goals denied by VAR fine margins.

Thursday 20 June 2024

England 1 Denmark 1 (Euros Group match)

Yet another Gareth Southgate masterclass of cluelessness and negativity.

The team playing so deep and defensive, clearly the plan to try and stop Denmark scoring and not a plan of how England would score.

On 18 minutes some individual opportunism and ambition by Kyle Walker as he ignored Southgate’s orders and pressed high, won the ball in a dangerous position and Kane scoring from close in, he couldn’t miss.

Southgate’s reaction was to have England even more negative and defensive, invited Denmark on and they equalised 16 minites later. The whole game a shambles with the negative tactics and no apparent plan as to how England were trying to win the game. Very lucky to get a draw.

Kieran Trippier played well on the left and didn’t put a foot wrong.

Friday 21 June 2024

Slovakia 1 Ukraine 2 (Euros Group match)

Martin Dubravka and Slovakia looking to be cruising through to the last 16 when dominating the first half and leading 1-0. However, Ukraine came out for the second half all fired up and turned it around, equalising on 54 minutes and then a shocker with 10 minutes to go from Martin Dubravka, when a ball was played over the top that he should have dealt with, allowing the striker to score from a narrow angle and he should have stopped it for sure.

Sunday 23 June 2024

Switzerland v Germany (Fabian Schar) Euros Group match 8pm BBC TBC

Monday 24 June 2024

Costa Rica v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match

Colombia v Paraguay (Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match

Tuesday 25 June 2024

England v Slovenia (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match 8pm ITV1

Wednesday 26 June 2024

Slovakia v Romania (Martin Dubraka) Euros Group match 5pm BBC2

Friday 28 June 2024

Paraguay v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match

Tuesday 2 July 2024

Colombia v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match

(There will of course be more matches for Newcastle United players if their nations get through the group stages of the Copa America and/or the European Championships.)