Euro 2020: Which England players will benefit - or suffer

The recent announcement that Euro 2020 was to be postponed and moved to the summer of 2021 was disappointing but made perfect sense. With domestic seasons across Europe potentially not finishing due to the coronavirus, how could an international tournament possibly happen this summer?

With the threat of the virus hopefully long gone by the time 2021 begins, excitement for the tournament should begin again. For many teams though – including England – things might’ve changed dramatically by next summer.

Players who are now at the forefront of Gareth Southgate’s plans may slip back, while others may well push themselves forward.

Here are six England players who could end up being beneficiaries – or victims – of Euro 2020’s postponement.

Beneficiary: Harry Kane

Harry Kane's hamstring injury may have kept him out of Euro 2020

One major beneficiary of the postponement – assuming he doesn’t pick up another disastrous injury – is England captain Harry Kane. The Tottenham Hotspur striker hasn’t played since New Year’s Day after injuring his hamstring.

And, there was no guarantee he would be ready for the tournament in June. Kane would usually be the first name on the team sheet, and so his physical state would’ve been a huge worry for Southgate.

Now though, he should have a full season of action behind him before the 2021 tournament, and will hopefully be fully fit. If that’s the case, then he remains England’s biggest goal threat and will look to add to his current tally of 32 international goals.

In this case, of course, England are also a huge beneficiary of the postponement; the Three Lions are not the same team without their captain.

Victim: Danny Ings

Danny Ings' current form might've faded by the time next summer comes around

With Harry Kane, Tammy Abraham and Marcus Rashford all injured, one man who had his eye on a spot at the Euros was Southampton’s Danny Ings. The striker had been one of the Premier League’s most in-form hitmen, banging in 18 goals this season. He was therefore hopeful of an international recall.

With the tournament now postponed to 2021 though, Ings’ chances of being part of the England squad have diminished. Not only will he be almost 29 when the tournament comes around, but question marks hang over his consistency. After all, the Saints man was never this prolific earlier in his career – so could his current form be a purple patch?

It’s definitely a possibility – meaning that Southgate is more likely to turn to someone younger like Dominic Calvert-Lewin by the time next summer is here.

Beneficiary: Phil Foden

Will Phil Foden have established himself by the time Euro 2021 comes around?

Southgate has been searching for a playmaker for his England team for some time. Players like Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Mason Mount and James Maddison have all been given a chance. Although, none have the raw talent of Phil Foden. So why wasn’t the Manchester City man on the radar for this summer’s now postponed tournament?

Well, the answer is obvious; he simply hasn’t played enough games. The 19-year old has just three Premier League starts to his name compared to 27 for Maddison and 25 for Mount. With the postponement though, that might well change.

Foden is expected to play a lot more for City in 2020-21 due to the departure of David Silva. If he does that – and continues on his current upward trajectory – he’s almost guaranteed to shine. That means that Southgate may well identify him as his starting playmaker for Euro 2021, usurping his slightly older rivals.

Victim: Jack Grealish

Will Jack Grealish's behaviour during the current lockdown harm his England chances?

Right now, Jack Grealish remains uncapped by England, but before the suspension of the season, that looked set to change. The Aston Villa man’s performances in the current campaign had seemingly forced him into Southgate’s plans. Although questions over where he would fit into England’s system remained.

The statistics though backed him up; no English midfielder had created more chances in 2019-20. And no other Premier League player had drawn more fouls than the Villa captain.

However, the suspension of the season – and postponement of Euro 2020 – came at just the wrong time for him. Not only will he likely now be faced with another competitor for a squad spot in Phil Foden, but he’ll need to prove himself all over again.

More worryingly for Grealish, his behaviour during the current pandemic may well count against him too. Essentially, the Villa star was one step away from a squad spot just a month ago. Now, he’s probably taken a number of steps backwards.

Beneficiary: Bukayo Saka

With another season under his belt, Bukayo Saka may establish himself as England's second-choice left-back

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka hasn’t been capped by England yet – in fact, he hasn’t even appeared for the U-21s. Even so, the 18-year old may well find himself a major beneficiary of the postponement of Euro 2020. Why? Because right now, he seems to be at the front of a queue of players looking to become England’s backup left-back.

It seems very likely that Leicester’s Ben Chilwell will be Southgate’s starting left-back, but the slide of Danny Rose and inconsistency of Luke Shaw has seemingly opened up a spot. And Saka is looking good right now. Not only does he seem to be the Gunners’ first-choice left-back, but he’s also able to play as an attacker.

He has two goals and eight assists to his name this season and is also improving his defensive skills. A full season under his belt for Arsenal could force him into Southgate’s plans.

Victim: Ross Barkley

Ross Barkley played well for England in Euro qualifiers. But his club form may see him slip down the pecking order

Ross Barkley hasn’t had the best time at Chelsea in the last two seasons. The current campaign, for instance, has only seen him play 13 league games for the Blues. But for England, things have been different. He scored four goals in Euro 2020 qualifiers and generally performed well in his six appearances.

That meant that despite his club form, he was still in the forefront of Southgate’s mind when it came to the attacking midfield berth. However, unless he begins to play more for Chelsea, that is likely to change. Not only will he be competing against clubmate Mason Mount, but Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and James Maddison will also be eyeing his spot.

Had Euro 2020 gone ahead this summer, Barkley’s international pedigree may have edged him ahead of those players. But with the postponement, Southgate will likely be forced to take club form more into effect. And if that’s the case, the Chelsea man simply isn’t likely to cut it.