James Maddison’s England dream may have to wait until next year
Leicester City midfielder James Maddison may have to until next year for his first start for England.
The 22-year old has picked up a calf strain and is a major doubt ahead of the Three Lions’ final UEFA Euro Qualifier against Kosovo at the Pristina City Stadium.
He will “face a fitness test” as per Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett but you’d think Gareth Southgate would not want to risk him for a game that holds no relevance as far is qualifying is concerned – England have already made it into the Euro 2020.
Maddison must be quite frustrated. Having been in the middle of a storm of controversies and criticism and what not, he was finally handed his long-awaited England debut in the 7-0 win over Montenegro on Thursday.
He would have rightly hoped for his first start now; however, he will unfortunately have to wait for his chance for a little longer. Excruciating.
Leicester, meanwhile, would want him to be fully fit for the Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
International breaks bring an unwanted disruption with them and as they say, the game immediately after the break is always important because it sets the tone.
This is why Maddison’s fitness is crucial. There is a clear difference between the Leicester with him and the Leicester without him. He has six goals and two assists in all competitions so far and is also among the leading chance creators in the top division.
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Elsewhere, there are no casualties to worry about. Bring on the matchday.