Sam Johnstone to miss Euros after surgery on injury suffered in England training – Footymercato.com
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Crystal Palace and England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has been ruled out of Euro 2024, with the 31-year-old undergoing surgery on an elbow injury.
The former Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion man picked up the problem in training while part of England’s camp for the friendlies with Brazil and Belgium. Burnley number one James Trafford came into the squad as his replacement, and could now be in line to travel to the Euros in Germany.
Gareth Southgate was already without Nick Pope for the March internationals, with the Newcastle keeper dislocating his shoulder in December. While Pope could return in time for the Euros, though, Johnstone’s hopes ot taking part in the tournament are over.
According to The Mail, Johnstone sustained the injury saving a shot in training and went under the knife on Wednesday morning. The same publication reports that the top of the goalkeeper’s forearm had become detached from the base of the elbow, making surgery a necessity.
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Johnstone had been in line to start against Belgium, but the injury meant Jordan Pickford started both games. The Everton stopper was at fault for Youri Tielemans’ opener on Tuesday night, giving the ball away with an errant pass out from the back, but England twice battled back to secure a 2-2 draw.
Southgate now has plenty of food for thought going into the Euros. Pope’s involvement may rest on how quickly he gets back up to speed at club level, with Newcastle expecting him back in action before the end of April.
Aaron Ramsdale joined Pickford and Johnstone in the latest squad, but has struggled for club minutes at Arsenal, while Trafford was dropped to the bench for Burnley’s last game before the break. Another contender is Dean Henderson, who is due to deputise for Johnstone at club level for the remainder of the season.
Which three goalkeepers should England take to Euro 2024? Have your say in the comments section
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The FA via Getty Images)
England had a long injury list going into the Belgium game, and that grew further when John Stones was forced off in the opening minutes of the game. Southgate was pleased with the performance of his inexperienced team, though, even if they weren’t able to secure victory.
“We probably had 15 players on a long list missing tonight, so there is a lot to think about and assess,” the England boss said. “Some of the injuries will be back in a short period of time and some in the latter stages of the season, so it’ll be unclear until the latter stages of the season.
“We are very happy with the squad. We have some exciting players and there’s a lot to work with because frankly we don’t know who is going to be available and there is a big chunk of the competitive season still to play.
“But these two games have been a great exercise for us. We’ve tested the players against top opposition and found out a lot of things, good and bad.”
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England Euro 2024 kit launch – Mirror
The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.
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