- Thomas Tuchel has provided a fitness update on England star Anthony Gordon
- The 24-year-old fell to the ground in pain after the final whistle against Albania
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Is England’s squad good enough to win the World Cup?
Thomas Tuchel provided an injury update on Anthony Gordon after the Newcastle star fell to the ground after the final whistle of England’s clash against Albania on Friday.
The 24-year-old appeared to feel discomfort in his left leg and required medical assistance.
After the final whistle, Gordon headed straight down to the tunnel while his England team-mates applauded the supporters in attendance at Wembley.
The Magpies winger stepped on the pitch in the 74th minute, replacing Marcus Rashford, just moments before Tuchel’s men doubled the lead.
Following the injury scare, the German boss shared an update on the player’s condition.
‘He looks injured,’ he said when quizzed whether Gordon suffered a setback. ‘First of all I thought it was his stomach but it is his hip and it does not look good. It’s a bit worrying.’
England boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed Anthony Gordon’s setback ‘does not look good’
The 24-year-old winger fell to the ground with evident discomfort after the final whistle in England’s game against Albania
The Newcastle star was forced to head straight down the tunnel while his team-mate received a round of appreciation from the stands
Gordon was a valuable addition to Tuchel’s first England squad during a highly successful season for Newcastle.
The 24-year-old has recommended himself as a strong starter in Eddie Howe’s side, which won their long-awaited Carabao cup trophy against Liverpool last week – despite Gordon’s disqualification due to a red card.
Overall, the Everton academy product scored nine goals and added six assists for the Magpies this campaign.
Appearing for only 16 minutes of the pitch on Friday, Gordon did not have a significant impact on Tuchel’s debut against Albania.
England won by 2-0 in a game which was far from ideal as the squad required more time to adapt to the former Chelsea boss’ innovative ideas.
Myles Lewis-Skelly marked his senior international debut with a goal in just 20 minutes on the pitch as he broke a national record.
The Arsenal wonderkid became the youngest-ever debutant goalscorer, aged 18 years and 176 days – breaking Marcus Rashford’s record set in May 2016.
Those who expected Albania to equalise were left disappointed after Harry Kane doubled the lead with a fine finish in the 77th minute.
Myles Lewis-Skelly marked his England debut by slotting in England’s first goal against Albania
Another goal from captain Harry Kane secured a confident 2-0 win at the Wembley Stadium
However, at the end of the game Tuchel appeared unhappy with the team’s performance as he gave a brutally honest verdict.
‘We weren’t disciplined in the structure,’ Tuchel said. ‘We tried a little bit too much alone and out of possession.
‘It was a fluid game in the opponents’ half but not in the final 20 metres. We need to take more risk with chipped balls behind the line.
‘We’ll get better. We’ll understand better and I’ll understand the players better, to find more aggressive movements.’
