GARETH’S LIONS CAGED

England’s games off for a YEAR CORONAVIRUS CHAOS

ENGLAND face going over a year without playing a match.

UEFA will consider banning international football until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And that leaves Gareth Southgate with nothing to prepare for.

European football’s governing body will hold a crisis meeting via videolink today.

The 55 association members will discuss how to deal with the virus that has turned the season on its head. Euro 2020 is expected to be

pushed back for 12 months, allowing more time for domestic campaigns around Europe to be completed.

But UEFA bosses will also review the international calendar and could postpone all matches for the foreseeable future.

International football is not considered a priority compared to the likes of the Champions League, Europa League and the domestic competitions in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and Holland.

Postponing this summer’s Euros would provide time for leagues to be finished but it would mean the 2021 Nations League competition being cancelled.

The qualifying phase of the tournament is due to take place in September, October and November – with the finals in 2021.

The draw took place in Amsterdam earlier this month, with England finding themselves in a group with Belgium, Denmark and Iceland.

But these games, along with all the others, could now be scrapped because they are scheduled to take place before the next domestic season could even start.

It could be next March before the play-off games to decide the remaining places at the Euro finals are staged.

England would then be able to arrange warm-up matches for those dates.

Having no international fixtures, either competitive or friendly, would be a huge blow to Southgate.

He is already bracing himself for the Euro 2020 switch but losing the Nations League from the calendar as well would see him go months on end without getting to work with his players.