England boss Gareth Southgate claims he will rotate the three unlucky men who will not be named as part of the 23-man match-day squads during the Euros... leaving Luke Shaw, Bukayo Saka and Ben White in doubt for Scotland

England boss Gareth Southgate has warned his players he intends to rotate the three men who will not be named as part of the 23-man match-day squads during the Euros.

Southgate recognises omitting a trio of players from his party for each game is a delicate challenge as it threatens squad harmony.

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UEFA increased squad allocations from 23 to 26 for the tournament to ease fatigue concerns after the Covid-enforced truncated season, but teams can only name 12 substitutes — including two goalkeepers — on a match day.

England manager Gareth Southgate has warned his players he intends to rotate the three men who will not be named as part of the 23-man match-day squads during the Euros

Ben Chilwell, Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire — who was not fully fit — were the unlucky players for the opening game against Croatia, but Southgate is aware of the risks of selecting the same players throughout the tournament.

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That offers hope to both Chilwell and Sancho, who could be part of the squad for Friday's Scotland clash, while Maguire's improving fitness could give Southgate another big decision to make.

Luke Shaw, Bukayo Saka and Ben White are among the players under threat on Friday.

UEFA increased squad allocations from 23 to 26 for the tournament to ease fatigue concerns after the Covid-enforced truncated season. However, it can be difficult situation to handle
Ben Chilwell (above), Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire were left out for Croatia clash

Jordan Henderson was on the bench on Sunday despite not being fully match fit, and both he and Maguire may need to wait until the third group game against the Czech Republic on Tuesday to make their first starts.

It is understood that Henderson is not guaranteed an instant route back into Southgate's team, even if he proves his fitness. Southgate has the Liverpool skipper and Declan Rice down as competing for the same spot in midfield. Kalvin Phillips and Jude Bellingham are the considerations for the other central midfield role.

Rice and Phillips were excellent against Croatia, but the expectancy was that Henderson would replace Phillips if he could prove his match sharpness to Southgate. However, it appears Southgate does not necessarily see Henderson and Rice playing together during the tournament.

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Centre back Maguire was left out because he was not fully fit for the opening game
Luke Shaw (right), Bukayo Saka and Ben White are among the players under threat for Friday

Meanwhile, Bellingham has been reflecting on becoming the youngest player ever to appear at the European Championship.

'It's a good record,' he said. 'I'm buzzing with that. I just never thought I'd be here, really. If the Euros had taken place when it was supposed to, last summer, I would have been nowhere near it. But I've had a good season, kept my head down and things have come one after another.

'When I came on against Croatia I was thinking, "Don't you dare let them get back in the game while you're on the pitch".'