Euro 2020: Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold sum up England’s mixed fortunes

Jack Grealish (left) starred for England, while Trent Alexander-Arnold went off injured

Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold were the two symbols of a mixed night for England manager Gareth Southgate, despite victory over Austria.

Aston Villa’s captain may have had an ice pack wrapped around his shin but nothing could remove the broad smile on his face after he received a standing ovation as he was substituted from the Riverside Stadium crowd for his significant role in England’s 1-0 win.

If Grealish brought the joy to Southgate as he finalises his plans for the Euros opener against Croatia at Wembley on 13 June, there was a look of pure dejection on the face of Liverpool right-back Alexander-Arnold after he limped off late on, his hopes of figuring in the tournament now hanging in the balance.

For Grealish, it was the sort of statement performance he will have wanted to produce as he re-established his England credentials superbly and continues his return to full fitness after a shin injury.

This may have been an experimental side with so many players rested after their efforts for Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United in the Champions League and Europa League finals but there was plenty riding on this for Grealish.

And the 25-year-old did not disappoint, emphasising once again the influence he is able to exert, continuing to gain the confidence of Southgate after a period when England’s manager did not seem fully convinced by what Grealish can offer.

It was a sentiment echoed by the crowd here at Middlesbrough, who revelled in the X-factor the Aston Villa playmaker brings to England with his ability to make things happen, his willingness to run at defences, create space for others and draw fouls in dangerous positions with his natural sleight of foot.

Jack Grealish was the most fouled player in the Premier League last season

He won some fouls but did not get others, Belgian referee Lawrence Visser ruling he had gone down too easily on occasions, but he was a constant threat to Austria, always demanding the ball, always willing to dart into dangerous areas.

England’s fans rose as Grealish came off, a deserved response to his efforts on a night that became increasingly difficult for this experimental England after Southgate made his substitutions.

He had that ice pack around his shin as a precaution against the injury that kept him out for three months. Grealish has only started three games since his comeback but looked back on track to his best against Austria.

Grealish is one of a number of high-quality operators in and around that position, with 17-year-old Jude Bellingham showing his maturity with another excellent performance and Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka the match winner.

Southgate has power to add with the creative qualities of Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Phil Foden of Manchester City now coming back into the reckoning but this was the sort of display from Grealish that will put him in the forefront of his manager’s mind with that first game at the Euros coming soon.

Trent Alexander-Arnold started limping minutes before the final whistle

For Alexander-Arnold there was only despair as he suffered a thigh problem making a routine late clearance, attempting to run it off, eventually succumbing to the inevitable before walking around the pitch being consoled by members of England’s medical staff.

He even received a yellow card for coming back on to the pitch for a matter of seconds without permission to add insult to injury.

Alexander-Arnold excelled in the final weeks of the season while doubts persisted over his selection for the Euros, performing to a level that meant Southgate was prepared to name him as one of four right-backs in his 26-man squad.

“Always believe in yourself. Silence the doubters,” he tweeted external-link after he was named in the squad, while Southgate talked up the qualities he could bring to England’s Euro campaign.

Now, he and Southgate face an anxious wait to discover the extent of his injury.

Alexander-Arnold’s pained expression and Southgate’s early medical bulletin did not prompt a surge of optimism, the manager saying: “It’s not a good sign to see him have to walk off as he did. We’ll know more in the next 24 to 48 hours.”

It would be a devastating blow for Alexander-Arnold to miss out after getting his head down, showing his quality and stating his case when he was left out of England’s squad for World Cup qualifiers against Albania, San Marino and Poland in April.

The 22-year-old let his football do the talking and, after all the fuss surrounding his selection, he would be a huge miss for England and Southgate if he is ruled out.

For Grealish, however, the injury clouds have rolled away and he played like a man who could be a key figure in England’s Euros campaign.

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