England v Hungary: Gareth Southgate to check on Phil Foden fitness for Molineux game
England will make a late check on Phil Foden’s fitness to see if he could play Tuesday’s Nations League game with Hungary at Molineux.
Foden missed the games in Hungary, Germany and at home to Italy after testing positive for coronavirus.
Boss Gareth Southgate said: “We’ve got to chat with our physical performance guys and our medical team really.
“He’s back in training but there’s a reality of how much conditioning he’s had over the last three weeks.”
The game with Hungary will be played in front of a sell-out crowd of about 32,000.
The first Nations League tie in Budapest – and England’s encounter with Italy at Molineux – were played in front of only children and their accompanying adults as a result of punishments against the Hungarian and English FAs respectively.
England are bottom of Group A3 after losing 1-0 in Hungary and drawing with Germany and Italy.
Midfielder Conor Gallagher is the only outfield player yet to play this month.
“He’ll have a chance,” added Southgate. “The reason is just the teams we’ve picked, the formations we’ve picked, haven’t necessarily fitted up to this point.
“Also, you have to earn your England caps. Although we’re trying to look at things, everybody has to be patient.”
England have only scored once this month – Harry Kane’s late penalty against Germany for his 50th international goal.
Raheem Sterling is the only other player in the squad in double figures for England goals.
Captain Kane said: “If you look over the last two, three years we’ve definitely had goals in different areas in terms of set-plays, defenders getting goals, midfielders picking up with goals.
“In any top team, you’re going to probably have a main striker that gets the majority of the goals, a main attacking winger who is going to get some goals.
“I’m sure every lad that puts on an England shirt wants to score and get assists and affect the game.”
Potential for crowd problems?
There are concerns about crowd trouble in Wolverhampton, with two of England’s four games so far having restricted attendances – and problems when they have met Hungary recently.
July 2021 – Uefa fines Hungary and orders a three-game stadium closure (one suspended) for racist and homophobic behaviour by fans during Euro 2020.
July 2021 – Uefa fines England and orders a two-game stadium closure (one suspended) as a punishment for the unrest at Wembley during the Euro 2020 final.
September 2021 – Fans are allowed at Hungary v England (because it is a Fifa World Cup qualifier) and England players are racially abused. It results in a two-match stadium closure (one suspended).
October 2021 – Hungary fans clash with police at Wembley and then boo the home players taking the knee. Hungary fans are banned from the next game against Poland by Fifa as a result.
June 2022 – The game is played ‘behind closed doors’ in Budapest, but there are boos from a 30,000 crowd made up of kids and their accompanying adults.
