June 12th 2024.
Gareth Southgate is facing a tough decision ahead of England's opening match in the Euro 2024 against Serbia on Sunday. Reports have emerged that John Stones, one of their key defenders, may not be able to play due to illness. Stones, who missed training on Wednesday, has been struggling with the sickness bug and is currently quarantined in his room to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the team.
This news comes as a surprise as Stones seemed to be recovering well from a knock he received during England's friendly match against Iceland last week. He trained with the team on Tuesday in Germany and everything seemed fine. However, his condition took a turn for the worse and he was unable to join the rest of the squad on Wednesday, leaving Southgate with a headache about his availability for Sunday's match.
According to Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett, Stones' illness has made him a major doubt for the clash against Serbia. The Football Association has not confirmed the nature of his illness, and it is uncertain if he will be able to train on Thursday. This is a major blow for England, as Stones' experience and skills would have been crucial in the match against Serbia.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team, including Luke Shaw, who is recovering from an injury, trained on Wednesday. Shaw, who has been out since February, is making good progress and could potentially feature in the group stages. However, if Stones is unavailable, England will be lacking in international experience in their defense, especially after Harry Maguire's injury ruled him out of the squad.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi is expected to start in place of Stones, with other options such as Lewis Dunk, Ezri Konsa, and Joe Gomez also available. Despite this setback, the England team seemed to be in good spirits during training on Tuesday. Players like Bukayo Saka and Dunk, who had minor injury concerns, were fit and ready to play. Youngster Jude Bellingham has also rejoined the squad after his extended break following Real Madrid's Champions League victory.
Overall, Southgate and his team will have to carefully consider their defensive options for the match against Serbia. Stones' potential absence will definitely be felt, but England remains determined to start their Euro 2024 campaign on a positive note.
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