Rashford a worry as England turn to Scottish striker coach Russell
● Southgate hires former Airdrie and St Mirren player to work with Kane et al in preparations for Tunisia opener
It has been the lowest key build-up to a major tournament involving an England team that anyone can remember. We’ve seen them take off, we’ve seen them land, we’ve seen them roll into their team hotel, before the entrance gate slid shut to keep out the rest of the world.
The squad are getting settled in their temporary home outside St Petersburg and have been put through their paces in a couple of training sessions, in a conditions which can switch from burning hot sunshine to cold chill within a matter of minutes.
So what do we know so far about Gareth Southgate’s squad? No rash decisions The biggest story from the first England training session was Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford sitting out due to a knee injury. The 20-year-old tweeted that it was a “minor niggle” but was not risked for the second session yesterday. It is a growing concern.
Rashford had given Southgate plenty to ponder with his performance in the final preworld Cup friendly against Costa Rica, scoring from 25 yards and tormenting opposition defenders. It would have given Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard and Raheem Sterling a nagging doubt about their places.
But the injury will have made up Southgate’s mind to go with the latter trio, who he appeared to be leaning towards anyway. It is not worth risking Rashford against Tunisia when there are stronger opponents to come, not least Belgium in the final Group G game. The Scot teaching England how to score At the end of the hour-and-ahalf training session in front of the adoring Zelenogorsk public, England played a tight game on a pitch roughly a third of the size of normal one, as is standard.
The players had no problem scoring, Danny Welbeck with a header and John Stones finishing off a six-pass move past Pickford, and Jamie Vardy with a deft flick around Jack Butland amongst the goals.
0 Marcus Rashford: Knee injury.
It is just as well: England have the world’s No1 striker coach, according to the man himself ’s claim on his own website. Scotsman Allan Russell, 37, has been a new appointment by Southgate and is tasked with ensuring England’s forwards and midfielders are at their sharpest in front of goal.
Russell’s playing career included spells at Hamilton, St Mirren, Partick Thistle, Airdrie, Kilmarnock, Macclesfield Town, Mansfield and Forest Green Rovers. Good luck to the man trying to teach Harry Kane to score goals better. Very superstitious Eric Dier turned up to the first training session at the Spartak Zelenogorsk facility with significant strapping on his left leg. He is vying with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson to start as the defensive midfield pivot for the opening game on Monday.
Spurs midfielder Dier insisted afterwards it was mere superstition. The player wore the strapping for a leg injury and now, having worn it for so long, does not want to tempt fate by stopping. Henderson is expected to get the nod ahead of his counterpart. How’s your touch? England’s trio of goalkeepers – Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland and Nick Pope – started the opening session with a game of keepy uppies in a circle, with goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson.
Southgate is keen for his goalkeeper to be able to play the ball out from the back, similarly to Pep Guardiola’s approach at Manchester City and Brendan Rodgers’ at Celtic. Pickford is the best of the England bunch at this and is expected to start as No 1.
When they shifted to smashing balls at each other, taking it in turns in goal, Pickford had an awkward moment when he spilled one into the net, right in front of a line of television cameras.
A blip thathe Everton keeper will hope to get out of his system for the tournament.