Trent Alexander-Arnold hands England major injury scare ahead of the Euros as right back is forced off with a thigh injury in the dying moments of their 1-0 friendly win over Austria
- England have been dealt another injury scare ahead of the Euros this summer
- Trent Alexander-Arnold went down with a muscle issue on Wednesday evening
- The Liverpool star was unable to continue as England beat Austria 1-0
- England have been hit by concerns to Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson
- Gareth Southgate revealed Alexander-Arnold has picked up a thigh issue
England have been dealt an injury scare ahead of the Euros this summer after Trent Alexander-Arnold hobbled off with a muscular injury in the latter stages of the warm up game against Austria.
After months of uncertainty, the Liverpool star was included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for the European Championship, alongside fellow right backs Kyle Walker, Kieran Tripper and Reece James.
Southgate deployed Alexander-Arnold at right back for the first of two warm up friendlies, against Austria at the Riverside Stadium, in which a Bukayo Saka strike clinched a 1-0 win in the North East.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has given England an injury scare ahead of the Euros this summer
He went down with a muscular problem in the dying moments of the win over Austria
However, all eyes were on the 22-year-old who hobbled off the pitch in the dying moments of the game after he appeared to pull a muscle while kicking the ball upfield.
Having used all of his substitutes, Southgate was unable to replace Alexander-Arnold who begrudgingly hobbled out of the game and was immediately attended to by Three Lions medical staff.
England already have a couple of major injury concerns with Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson, and Southgate will be sweating over the fitness of the dynamic full back with just 11 days before the Three Lions play Croatia at Wembley.
Alexander-Arnold appeared unhappy as he hobbled off the pitch in the latter stages
England defender and Wolves captain consoles Alexander-Arnold after his muscular knock
Southgate was unable to provide an update to Alexander-Arnold’s fitness after the game at the Riverside, conceding that it bad to see the Liverpool star in pain as he came off the pitch.
‘We are going to have a little look,’ he told ITV Sport. ‘It is obviously not good to see him come off the way he did. We will just have to assess him over the next 24 hours.
‘I think thigh but as I say medical team is still assessing it. We just have to see, as I said it’s not a good sign to see him walk off as he did. We will know more in the next 24, 48 hours.
‘We don’t know the full extent, the last thing you want is to see him come off the way he did.’
Gareth Southgate revealed after the game his defender may have suffered a thigh problem
ITV pundits Roy Keane, Eni Aluko and Ian Wright expressed concern for Alexander-Arnold in the aftermath of England’s win, with all three fearing that the Liverpool star will miss the Euros.
‘It certainly didn’t [look good],’ Keane said. ‘We are quick to jump the gun but he walked past us there and he looked uncomfortable and was swearing quite a bit.
‘It doesn’t look good. The guy looks in big trouble.’
Eni Aluko added: ‘It is so unfortunate for Trent, we spoke so much about his journey and this injury does not look good.
Roy Keane expressed concern for Alexander-Arnold, saying the right back ‘looks in big trouble’
Ian Wright cast doubt as to whether the full back will be available for Croatia on June 13
‘It opens up a spot for someone else. Does Jesse Lingard come in? It opens it up if Trent is out.’
Meanwhile, Wright said that he heavily doubts Alexander-Arnold will be available for Southgate for the curtain raiser against Croatia on June 13.
‘My instinct is you could see when he was covering his face with his shirt he feels himself it isn’t going to happen for him,’ the Arsenal legend said.
‘You know instantly when you are injured. The way he kicked the ball it could have been thigh or hamstring. With 11 days there is no way he is going to make that.’