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Gareth Southgate has admitted he fears Jordan Henderson may be running out of time to get fit for the Euros.
Liverpool captain Henderson underwent groin surgery last month and is “very optimistic” that he will be in good shape in time for this summer’s tournament.
Henderson is a key member of the England squad and will be a major concern for Three Lions boss Southgate as the midfielder is the most experienced senior player.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has stressed that Henderson will be back before the campaign is over, but the biggest worry is getting game sharpness and fitness in big games.
(Image: Laurence Griffiths / POOL / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock)
Southgate has seen Jordan Pickford, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford suffer from injuries this season and they will also be a cause for concern heading into the summer.
Southgate said: “In terms of promises, we can only say that Hendo himself is very optimistic about how the operation went and the prognosis the specialist gave him as to what is possible.
“But of course we realize that for any injury of this nature there is a set guide and time, but anything can happen along the way. We know it’s going to be near the end of the season, we’ll just see how it goes.
(Image: Pool via REUTERS)
“He will give himself every chance of being available. And of course, we also know that he’ll probably be a bit short of match minutes in high-level games.
“There are a lot of things to consider, but at the moment it’s a decision that is in a few weeks.”
Meanwhile, Southgate backed the ‘incredible’ Harry Kane to break England’s goalscoring records.
England boss Southgate revealed that Kane was ‘turning around’ during half-time against San Marino trying to get on the pitch to get his goal tally.
Tottenham striker Kane is sixth in England’s top scorers list with 32 goals, 21 behind former No.1 England captain Wayne Rooney.
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Kane, 27, is set to return to England’s starting lineup against Albania and Poland in their next two World Cup qualifiers and will be on the trail of unscoring goals for his country in 2020.
His last goal for England came against Kosovo in November 2019 and will lead the Southgate men in the next two games after seeing Dominic Calvert-Lewin start against San Marino with Ollie Watkins also scoring in his debut,
Southgate said: “I’m not worried about the time he went scoreless. He’s an exceptional, incredible finisher. We will create enough chances for him to achieve these goals.
“Of course in a game like this he was desperate to get into the game. He was sort of circling around me at halftime, smiling, but I don’t even think he would have denied Ollie Watkins that moment he had.
“We had to look at the big picture and Harry understands that perfectly. We also want him to continue to break those records and it will be great to see him again for the next matches.
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