Gareth Southgate handed major blow as key England star suffers ‘setback’ just days before he names squad for Euro 2024
Southgate will have to rely on his second option
LUKE SHAW has lost his race to make the Euro’s after being ruled out of Manchester United’s final two games of the season.
But Harry Maguire, who has missed the last three games with a muscle injury, is set to make the FA Cup Final and the list for Germany.
Shaw, 28, is the Three Lions first-choice left-back but has not played since February due to a hamstring injury.
He was fighting to get back but his rehabilitation suffered a recent set-back.
Gareth Southgate names his provisional 26-man squad next Tuesday for next month’s finals.
United boss Erik ten Hag said: “F*or the cup final we’re working on it.
Maguire, 31, has a fair chance that he will be available, Luke is more complicated in this moment.
“Let’s say it’s less of a chance he will make it but still a very small chance. He had a setback, now we have to find out how far it is.”
United, who stand eighth, take on Brighton this Sunday with the Europa Conference their only chance of European football through the league.
Victory in the FA Cup Final would, however, get them in the Europa League.
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It is a long way from this time last season when they had the Carabao Cup on the mantelpiece and were heading towards a third placed finish and a Cup Final.
The win over Newcastle on Wednesday was only their second in nine in the league.
For Ten Hag, however it was proof the players still believe in him.
Indeed, he thinks only the 4-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace in that run was worthy of criticism.
He said: “It was one very poor performance and all the others was a very good spirit.
“I would almost say that across the season, with all the problems we had, the spirit in the team, the fighting spirit was always there, the dynamic was always there.
“We had some good performances even when the best players were not available.”
Ten Hag is set to start Lisandro Martinez on Sunday after he came on as a second-half sub in the game against Newcastle.
He had previously played just once since February 4.
