BUKAYO SAKA is expected to start for England against Serbia on Sunday.
There had been slight doubt over Saka’s fitness after he missed Arsenal’s final game of the season with a groin injury.
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He came on as a substitute for the final 25 minutes of the shock 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley last Friday.
The winger has not completed all training sessions over the past ten days.
But SunSport understands the 22-year-old, the Three Lions’ second-highest scorer after Harry Kane with 11 goals, is in contention to play from the start in Gelsenkirchen.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is also set to start his first game in a major tournament in six years alongside Declan Rice in midfield, getting the nod for Conor Gallagher.
John Stones is expected to start in a back line also including Kyle Walker, Marc Guehi and Kieran Trippier, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
The Manchester City centre-back, 30, is ready to go despite missing Wednesday’s training due to an illness problem.
He trained on Saturday with the 25 other players in Southgate’s squad.
Skipper Kane will start up front with a trio of Saka, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden behind him, barring injury.
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The match kicks off tomorrow at 8 p.m. at the Veltins-Arena and will be broadcast on BBC One.
England and Serbia have only faced each other once when the latter faced Serbia and Montenegro.
The two teams met in 2003 in an international friendly match at the King Power Stadium.
The Three Lions won 2-1 thanks to goals from Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole, while Nenad Jestrovic temporarily equalized for his country.
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England also have a better record since Serbia competed in Yugoslavia.
The national team has won five matches out of 14, losing four of them.
AC Milan’s Luka Jovic and Juventus’ Filip Kostic are available to launch manager Dragan Stojkovic’s attack.
Al-Hilal’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could also pose a problem in midfield.
England saw Scotland beaten 5-1 by hosts Germany in the tournament curtain-raiser last night.
England Euro 2024 guide
GARETH SOUTHGATE has no illusions by participating in this competition: it is victory or failure.
The Three Lions have never had a better opportunity to end their 58-year wait for a major international trophy given the talent and experience they have.
MANAGER: Gareth Southgate
The former England star is closer than anyone since Sir Alf Ramsey to ending the Three Lions trophy hoodoo.
Southgate is aware of the nations’ expectations and has even suggested he would resign if he fails to win the European Championship.
STAR MAN: Jude Bellingham
The Real Madrid star is arguably the best player in the world right now and gives England the platform they need to dominate big games.
How England attacks
England will look to dominate the ball against almost everyone.
Declan Rice is crucial in progressing the ball, Bellingham, Saka and Foden will rotate to take defenders out of position and Kane can both score and drop deep to create chances for others.
How England defend
England press man-to-man, with the midfielder pushing to support Kane when the ball is lost and looking to recover it as close to the opposition goal as possible.
However, the left-back spot could be a cause for concern, particularly with Luke Shaw entering the tournament with fitness concerns.
Read the full England Euro 2024 guide here, including predicted line-ups, odds and Wags.
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