Kieran Tripper had Gareth Southgate and England fans worried after he was substituted off with what seemed to be an ankle injury.
The 33-year-old was taken off in the first half of Newcastle United’s post-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday in Melbourne, Australia.
Football fans slammed the game as absurd as Spurs jetted to the other side of the world just hours after they had beaten Sheffield United 3-0 away on the final day of the Premier League season, and it has threatened to derail England and other country’s Euro 2024 preparations.
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After starting just one game since the middle of March due to suffering a calf injury, Trippier started at right-back before he was substituted in the 37th minute. The 46-time Three Lions international ran off the pitch comfortably enough but was then spotted with an ice pack applied to his ankle.
Southgate’s injury-hit Euro 2024 squad is incredibly thin in the full-back position, with Chelsea duo Reece James and Ben Chilwell both missing out.
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(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“The most pointless game, in which Tripper went off injured. Absolutely nothing wrong with doing preseason tours, but postseason tours are pointless,” one fan fumed. While a second said: “There are now no FA Cup replays as the players are too tired. Did Tripper get subbed because he got injured in this pointless game…”
Named in the squad alongside Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold, though the latter has often featured in midfield for England, Trippier has previously been called upon by Southgate to feature on the left-hand side of defence – potentially worsening England’s problems at full-back.
However, it has since been revealed that Trippier’s substitution was part of a pre-planned change by Eddie Howe, although the reason for him to require treatment on his ankle hasn’t been cleared.
(Image: PA)
The hugely criticised fixture, due to the match taking place just three days after the final game of the season, saw another of England’s 33-man squad James Maddison open the scoring before Alexander Isak levelled.
Thankfully, the game never went to extra-time, instead straight to penalties, where Newcastle won 5-4 after Bryan Gil missed Spurs’ first spot kick. Tripper’s injured Newcastle team-mate and fellow England Euro hopeful Anthony Gordon didn’t feature.