Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are likely to return to international duty this week, as Gareth Southgate turns to his Euro 2020 squad to revitalise an England team who looked abject at the end of last season.
Sancho and Rashford, who both missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final shootout in 2021, were the chief casualties of Manchester United’s abysmal form last season, with Sancho not having been picked for an England squad since October 2021 and Rashford not since November 2021.
And yet missing the summer defeats by Hungary, a 1-0 reverse in Budapest and then the excruciating 4-0 loss at Molineux in June, England’s worst at home since 1928, might have proven to be an inspired move, combined with their respective renaissances in recent weeks under Erik ten Hag.