Jadon Sancho set to start against Ukraine as Bukayo Saka suffers injury in training

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is an injury doubt for England’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine, but new Manchester United star Jadon Sancho is expected to get his first start of the tournament, while Chelsea’s Mason Mount could also be recalled.

Sancho, despite another impressive season for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, has only played six minutes for England so far at the tournament and was bizarrely left out of the matchday squad altogether for the opening game against Croatia last month.

But with Saka nursing a minor training injury ahead of the crunch game against Ukraine in Rome, Sancho would be considered likely to start in his place on the right.

Saka has started each of England’s last two games against Czech Republic and Germany, but manager Gareth Southgate confirmed the teenager has a ‘slight knock’ and will be assessed again ahead of the game to see if he is fit enough to be involved.

However, with The Athletic reporting that Sancho will start, it is a logical assumption that Saka won’t and the switch would be a like for like replacement.

England have no other fitness concerns ahead of the game. Mount missed out against Germany after a week training in isolation because of COVID-19 protocols but could be in contention to return to the starting XI, with England tipped by multiple sources to switch formation.

Southgate chose a 3-4-3 system against Germany but now is expected to revert to a back four, which would allow him to pick an extra midfielder alongside Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice.

Predicted England lineup to face Ukraine (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones Maguire, Shaw; Phillips, Rice, Mount; Sancho, Kane, Sterling

Southgate has already stated that his team selection against Ukraine will not be governed by fear of players picking up suspensions. Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and the aforementioned Phillips and Rice are all carrying yellow cards and could be in danger of missing a potential semi-final.

Yellow cards are wiped after the quarter-finals, which means that no player can be harshly suspended for the final as a result of accumulated bookings. Only a red card in the semi-final would force a player to miss the final through suspension.

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