England manager Gareth Southgate has affirmed that Luke Shaw is "available" to start the Three Lions' Euro 2024 quarter-final with Switzerland on Saturday but has suggested that he will not be fielding him from the off.
It has been almost exactly five months since Shaw last played for Manchester United, suffering an immediate recurrence of a muscular problem in a Premier League clash with Luton Town in February.
The left-back was a "long shot" for the Euros even when Southgate named his preliminary squad, and while he survived the cull to 26, he has not played a single minute for the Three Lions at the tournament so far.
In fact, it has been over a year since Shaw's last game for England, playing the full 90 in a 7-0 qualifying success over North Macedonia in June 2023 before his latest episode of injuries.
The ex-Southampton man has alternated between individual and team training during England's run to the quarter-finals, where Kieran Trippier has been forced to deputise as the Three Lions' left-back, as Shaw is the only recognised option in that area.
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Southgate suggests Trippier will start quarter-final
The Newcastle United man's performances have drawn mixed reviews at best, but speaking in his pre-game press conference, Southgate hinted that Trippier would continue over Shaw, despite the latter being ready to start.
"Trippier has been outstanding for us. Luke Shaw is available, available to start. But Kieran has done a brilliant job for the team," the England manager told reporters.
"He obviously doesn't give us the natural balance of a natural left footer but his leadership, his talking is phenomenal and helps his team-mates to play the game.
"It's a dying art - good talkers on the pitch, you can't have enough of them. He has adapted and done a brilliant, brilliant job for us. We're always considering the best way to approach a game. We are always trying to prepare to give our opponents the best possible game."
What might England's lineup against Switzerland look like?
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Southgate waxing lyrical about Trippier certainly suggests that the right-back will be named in the starting XI in Dusseldorf, although he could very well be deployed in his favoured role rather than as Shaw's emergency solution.
That is because Southgate is said to be pondering a switch to a three-man defence for the quarter-final, where Ezri Konsa is expected to step in for the suspended Marc Guehi alongside John Stones and Kyle Walker.
Whether England go for a 3-4-3, 3-5-2 or other variation, Trippier and Bukayo Saka - who was shoe-horned into a left-back role in the dying embers against Slovakia - are seemingly the favourites to occupy the wing-back roles.
Southgate is also facing a key dilemma in midfield as he weighs up whether to start all of Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo and Jude Bellingham, the latter of whom avoided an immediate ban for his crotch-grabbing celebration last time out.
The England boss might ultimately decide to sacrifice one member of the quartet in order to introduce Ivan Toney, who was a massive influence on the game when brought on in the last 16 and set up Harry Kane's extra-time winner.
Ben Knapton
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