Arsenal fans sweating on Myles Lewis-Skelly’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest need not worry despite the teenager missing England’s game against Serbia.
The Three Lions continued their flawless start to their World Cup qualifying campaign with a thumping 5-0 win in Belgrade.
Having played the full 90 minutes against Andorra three days earlier, Lewis-Skelly was a surprise omission from Thomas Tuchel’s matchday squad with Tino Livramento playing the full 90 minutes at left-back.
According to Sky Sports news, however, Tuchel’s decision was both a ‘tactical and physical’ one with Lewis-Skelly having been used sparingly by Mikel Arteta this season.
After his breakthrough campaign, the Hale End Academy graduate has started on the bench in Arsenal’s first three games of the new season with Riccardo Calafiori now back at full fitness.
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Harry Kane, meanwhile, believes England’s statement victory over Serbia can be the starting point for World Cup glory.
The Euro 2024 runners-up lit the blue touch paper to Thomas Tuchel’s reign with a night to remember in Belgrade, with goals from Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford firing them to within touching distance of qualification for next summer’s tournament in North America.
While England had won all four previous qualifying games under Tuchel, it had generally been underwhelming, especially as they laboured to 1-0 and 2-0 wins over minnows Andorra.
But everything came together in a match which was supposed to represent their toughest mission of the qualifying campaign and got Kane excited.
‘That is almost as good as it gets, just the manner and what it meant for the group if we didn’t win,’ he said.
‘Coming to a real hostile place and playing like that, clean sheet, five goals, rarely under threat. Credit to the boys, we made that game look easy.
‘We can use it as a template for many more performances like that.
‘Everyone knew it was going to be a tough game and inside the walls we created a togetherness and it’s us against whoever we play, wherever we play.
‘It’s been a great week, the energy has been high, the motivation has been high.
‘The togetherness is starting to come and nights like this will only help, building up to the summer.’
