England handed Euro 2024 boost as Manchester United defender Luke Shaw closes in on injury return

England have been handed an injury boost ahead of Euro 2024 with Manchester United defender Luke Shaw now closing in on a return to action.

Shaw, who scored England’s early opener in the Euro 2020 final, was considered a major doubt for the upcoming tournament due to a hamstring injury.

The 28-year-old only made 12 Premier League appearances last season and was not seen since picking up an injury in a 2-1 win over Luton Town on February 18.

The setback meant Shaw missed Manchester United’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City, but he was still named in Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024.

Southgate will cut at least seven players from that group on Saturday when England name their final Euros squad.

Shaw is one of the players sweating over his place but the United defender has boosted his chances of travelling to Germany by returning to the grass and training with his England team-mates over the last two days.

The left-back, who is hoping to add to his 31 caps this summer, is yet to participate in full-on sessions but has nevertheless strengthened his claims to be taken to the Euros.

England are one of the favourites to be crowned European champions but left-back is an obvious area of weakness in Southgate’s side, with Ben Chilwell not fit enough to even be included in the provisional squad.

Natural right-back Kieran Trippier slotted in on the left-hand side in Monday’s warm-up victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Premier League-winning captain Kyle Walker could also move across.

But it looks increasingly likely that Southgate will give Shaw every chance to prove his fitness before the Euros begin as a guaranteed starter for England when fully fit.

England, who are also sweating over the fitness of Shaw’s Manchester United team-mate Harry Maguire, face Iceland on Friday night in their final game before the Euros begin on July 14.

Other players at risk of being omitted from England’s final squad including Jack Grealish and Ivan Toney, who Southgate says will feature against Iceland.

Grealish has been a key player for England at the last two major tournaments but endured a frustrating season for Premier League champions Manchester City, starting just 10 league games.

‘There’s 33 who are desperate to be involved and we know the qualities that he has and absolutely what he’s capable of doing,’ Southgate said of Grealish this week.

‘That’s not in any question. As I said (before), he’s a player that we love having with the group and, for us, he’s a great character to work with.’

England, drawn in Group C for Euro 2024, begin their campaign against Serbia on July 16, before turning their attentions to Denmark and Slovenia.

The Three Lions are bidding to win their first men’s major tournament since 1966, having reached the latter stages of the last two World Cups and losing on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

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