England’s coach Gareth Southgate (left) walks onto the pitch with a member of staff at the start of their MD-1 training session at St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent, central England, on June 12, 2021 on the eve of their UEFA EURO 2020 match against Croatia. (AFP/Justin Tallis)
E
ngland open their Euro 2020 campaign on a revenge mission against Croatia on Sunday with the tournament reeling after Denmark's Christian Eriksen needed emergency treatment on the pitch.
The Netherlands are back in action at a major tournament for the first time since 2014 on the third day of action but the coronavirus is causing fresh havoc after Portugal's Joao Cancelo tested positive.
Eriksen, 29, received CPR as his distraught teammates formed a circle to shield him from the view of 16,000 stunned spectators in Copenhagen's Parken Stadium on Saturday.
The Group B game — just the third of the month-long tournament, which kicked off a year behind schedule on Friday — was halted just before half-time with the score goalless and suspended for nearly two hours before restarting.
The Finns won 1-0 thanks to a Joel Pohjanpalo header in their first-ever appearance in the European Championship but Eriksen's plight overshadowed the match.
The Danish Football Union said on Sunday that the Inter Milan midfielder remained in hospital but was in a "stable" condition.
"This morning we have spoken to Christian Eriksen, who has sent his greetings to his teammates. His condition is stable, and he continues to be hospitalised for further examination," it tweeted.
Gareth Southgate's youthful England side get their challenge under way as they face 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia — who beat England in the semi-finals in Russia — at Wembley in a 1300 GMT kickoff.
England are playing all three group games at their London home. If they top Group D they will also play there in the last 16, while London is also the venue for both semi-finals as well as the final on July 11.
Centre-forward and captain Harry Kane, who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, holds the key to ending England's 55-year wait for a major trophy.
Southgate has selected one of the youngest and most intriguing squads in the tournament, with the emergence of Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham heralding a bold new era for the Three Lions.
The England boss believes delaying of the Euros by a year could prove beneficial for his young players, who have gained valuable experience in the past 12 months at club and international level.
"It's definitely a good thing that a lot of our players have had maybe seven or eight more caps, big matches with their clubs and had that confidence that comes from playing in those big games," he said.
"Some of them have had great success in those big games as well, which is also an important factor."
