Soccer-England defender Shaw close to playing first match at Euro 2024, says team mate

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - England Training - Blankenhain, Germany - June 27, 2024 England's Luke Shaw during training REUTERS/John Sibley/File Photo

By Lori Ewing

BLANKENHAIN, Germany (Reuters) - Luke Shaw could be close to playing for England at Euro 2024, with team mate Anthony Gordon saying the left back who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for months has featured in every training session with the team this week.

"He's progressing well actually, especially in the last week or so," Gordon told reporters on Friday.

England manager Gareth Southgate took a "calculated risk" in including Shaw in the squad, knowing the Manchester United defender had not played since February and only featured in 15 games across all competitions this past season due to injury.

"He's a good lad, he's very professional and there was never any doubt that he'd be fit at some point," Gordon said. "It was just about making sure he was right.

"I was injured at the start with him, so I've seen his rehab, and he's done it all to a very high standard. And now we're seeing the results of that."

Gordon missed Newcastle's last game of the Premier League season with an ankle injury.

After Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Slovenia, Shaw was asked whether he was fit, and he said "next game".

England's defence was solid in three otherwise uninspiring group games, conceding just one goal.

Kieran Trippier started each game at left back but because he is right-footed and so tends to look inside, play down the left flank stalled.

Shaw enjoys playing attacking football, while Trippier has played much deeper with England. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the 28-year-old Shaw was one of six England players who spent most of each game in the opponents' half.

England play Slovakia at Gelsenkirchen, with the winner facing either Italy or Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha Sarkar)