Southgate Says He Hasn’t Made Decision on Grealish for Euros Squad 

Football - International Friendly - England Training - Rockliffe Park, Middlesbrough, Britain - June 2, 2024 England manager Gareth Southgate during training. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - England Training - Rockliffe Park, Middlesbrough, Britain - June 2, 2024 England manager Gareth Southgate during training. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Southgate Says He Hasn’t Made Decision on Grealish for Euros Squad 

Football - International Friendly - England Training - Rockliffe Park, Middlesbrough, Britain - June 2, 2024 England manager Gareth Southgate during training. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - England Training - Rockliffe Park, Middlesbrough, Britain - June 2, 2024 England manager Gareth Southgate during training. (Action Images via Reuters)

England manager Gareth Southgate is still weighing up the attacking options for his Euro 2024 squad and said that while Jack Grealish has not played as much as he would have liked this season, he is still in the running to make the cut.

Marcus Rashford was left out of the provisional 33-man squad for Germany and there has been talk that Grealish could be the next big name axed with Southgate set to cut the squad to 26 players by June 7.

Grealish made just 20 Premier League appearances for Manchester City this season, scoring three goals, and was an unused substitute in their FA Cup final defeat by Manchester United last month.

Asked if Grealish was in danger of missing out, Southgate said: "I don't think we're defining that just yet. I think we know where we're likely to be.

"I haven't talked to him specifically about the Cup final. But he has been really bright and he loves being here.

"This season he has not played as much. I'm sure he would have liked that to be different but we know the qualities he can bring. He is a player we enjoy working with."

Southgate added there was time for people to impress in friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland this week.

The likes of James Maddison, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen are all pushing for berths in the squad and Southgate said he had not settled on how many attacking players he would need.

"What we don't totally know is how many we need to take or how many we can allow ourselves to take because of the cover we might need in other positions as well," he added.

England host Bosnia at St. James' Park later on Monday and Iceland at Wembley on Friday before opening their Euro 2024 campaign on June 16 against Serbia in Group C.



Ronaldo Strikes Late to Seal Portugal Win Over Scotland

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (C) scored the winner against Scotland - AFP
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (C) scored the winner against Scotland - AFP
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Ronaldo Strikes Late to Seal Portugal Win Over Scotland

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (C) scored the winner against Scotland - AFP
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (C) scored the winner against Scotland - AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo's late strike sealed Portugal's 2-1 win over Scotland as the 901st goal of the striker's extraordinary career completed a stirring fightback in Sunday's Nations League clash.

Ronaldo had reached 900 career goals with his 131st international strike in Thursday's victory over Croatia.

On his 30th birthday, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes fired Portugal's second half equaliser after his former Old Trafford team-mate Scott McTominay gave Scotland a surprise early lead.

For Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, victory over Scotland could mean some awkward silences at his next family gathering.

Martinez met his wife Beth while playing for Scottish club Motherwell in 2001 and joked before the match he would be delighted to upset his father-in-law by beating Scotland.

He did exactly that, leaving Scotland still waiting for their first win over Portugal.

Beaten 3-2 by Poland at Hampden Park on Thursday, Scotland have won just once in 14 matches, a barren sequence that included their lacklustre failure to make it out of the group stage at Euro 2024.

Steve Clarke's men have lost six of their nine matches in 2024, with their only victory coming in a friendly against Gibraltar in June.

"When you bring quality players from the bench like Roberto can do you always know there's a risk," AFP quoted Clarke saying.

"I'm really disappointed for my players because I think they deserved to get something from the game.

"But with the amount of balls that go into the box, you know one of them can go in the back of the net and that's what happened to us."

Scotland took a shock lead in the seventh minute when Kenny McLean's superb cross picked out McTominay, who made a perfectly-timed run to plant his stooping header past Diogo Costa from six yards.

McTominay, who recently moved from United to Napoli, has 10 goals in his last 12 competitive appearances for Scotland.

Rafael Leao threatened an immediate equaliser with a driving run but his shot rippled into the side-netting.

Leao went even closer as he cut in from the left flank for a fierce drive that Angus Gunn pushed away at full stretch.

Antonio Silva wasted a chance created by Leao as he headed over from the AC Milan forward's dinked cross.

As the Portugal pressure mounted, Gunn made a fine save after Diogo Jota connected with Fernandes's incisive pass.

It was no surprise to see Ronaldo sent on for the second half and Portugal were immediately improved by his presence.

Taking aim from long-range in the 53rd minute, Fernandes's 25-yard blast should have been routine for Gunn but his weak attempted save allowed the ball to squirm into the net.

Ronaldo's audacious backheel gave Joao Felix a sight of goal, only for Gunn to make amends for his earlier error with an excellent stop.

Gunn saved again from Felix's diving header before Ronaldo turned the rebound against the post.

In the next attack, Ronaldo's glancing header hit the post and was clawed off the line by Gunn before Felix could convert.

Portugal's late surge finally produced the winner in the 88th minute.

Nuno Mendes whipped a cross into the six-yard box, where Ronaldo was lurking to deliver the knockout blow with a typically predatory tap-in.