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Gareth Southgate has already ruled captain Harry Kane out of the match against Belgium and has bemoaned England’s injury crisis. The Three Lions manager claims a third of a 40-man list of players who could be called upon for international duty are unavailable.
“Everyone wants simple solutions to complex problems,” he said. “Some players have just been unfortunate. Kane’s injury was when he crashed into the net at the weekend and it’s forced the mechanism with his ankle. He’s had a winter break and he’s not playing in our league.
“Some players have had runs of injuries, some have perhaps played too many games too quickly after coming back from injuries. The intensity of the games could be an aspect. Additional minutes in the games could be an aspect. What’s clear is we’ve got a long list of 40-odd players and a third are unavailable for tomorrow’s game, which is the highest we’ve ever had.”
