Scotland fans in London RECAP: Tartan Army descends on Leicester Square | England hold Scotland to a draw in Euro 2020 Group D clash at Wembley | Fans sing Yes Sir I Can Boogie | Nicola Sturgeon congratulates Scotland team
Scroll down to see all the latest updates as the Auld Enemy prepare to meet in a major tournament finals for the first time in 25 years.
Scotland vs England RECAP: All the buildup to tonight’s crunch Euro 2020 game at Wembley
Key Events
- Scots cannot afford to lose, says Scott McTominay
- Fitness boost for Scotland as Kieran Tierney available
- Scotland and England fans predicted to buy 3.4m pints
- Scotland v England: The key tactical battles
Jose Mourinho urges Scotland boss Steve Clarke to make precocious talent 'focal point' vs England
Jose Mourinho has urged Scotland boss Steve Clarke to start Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour against England on Friday evening.
Fitness boost for Scotland as Kieran Tierney available to face England
Scotland were handed a Euro 2020 boost after Kieran Tierney was declared fit and available for the game against England on Friday night.
The Arsenal defender, a key player for Steve Clarke’s side, missed the 2-0 defeat by the Czech Republic at Hampden Park in the Group D opener with a niggle.
At the pre-match zoom media conference ahead of the trip to Wembley, boss Clarke confirmed Tierney had fully recovered.
He said: “It is good news for Kieran, good news for us and good news for the Scottish supporters.
“He has trained fully the last two days. He is available for the whole game. Hopefully we can back all that up with a good result.”
Harry Maguire could start against Scotland, reveals Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate has confirmed Harry Maguire will be involved against oldest rivals Scotland and could even start as England look to wrap up early progress to the Euro 2020 knockout phase.
All eyes will be on a partially filled Wembley on Friday for an eagerly-anticipated Auld Enemy showdown that sees the Three Lions attempt to reach the last 16 and dent the wounded Scots’ hopes.
Steve Clarke’s men can call on Kieran Tierney after opening Group D with a 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic, while England are able to turn to a key returning figure of their own after beating Croatia 1-0 on Sunday.
Maguire’s availability for the Euros has been a major talking point since sustaining a high ankle sprain on May 9, ruling him out of the rest of Manchester United’s campaign.
Southgate said his return to fitness would be a “bonus” after selecting him in his 26-man squad, yet the centre-back has made such impressive strides that he is back available to face Scotland.
“Yeah, Harry will be involved tomorrow,” the England manager said.
“The decision we’ve got to make is whether he’s ready to start but we’ve been really pleased with his progress.
“He’s trained with the team for four or five days now and had no reaction.
“Of course, each session that he’s involved with he gets more confident and I think he’s on a really good path, so of course we want everybody available.
“It causes difficult decisions but at the moment, this morning, on this training pitch we had 26 players training and that’s a great situation for us to be in.”
England and Scotland fans predicted to buy 3.4m pints during Euros match
England and Scotland fans are predicted to buy 3.4 million pints during the Euro 2020 clash on Friday evening.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimates that 14.8 million pints will be sold across England and Scotland on match day, with over 3 million sales during the game itself.
But the trade association warned that due to Covid-19 restrictions, including social distancing, rule of six and no standing, that beer sales will be reduced by almost 850,000 pints.
This would result in a revenue loss of around £3.2 million for pubs across England and Scotland.
Chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association Emma McClarkin said: “Whether you’re supporting England or Scotland, nothing beats watching the game at the pub.
“Given pubs have been closed or faced restrictions for more than a year in both England and Scotland, every little helps and is critical to their recovery and survival.
“Given the delay in England to the lockdown and with rumours suggesting a similar delay could be coming in Scotland, it is a real great shame that fans will not even be able to enjoy the tournament without restrictions in the latter stages. All restrictions on pubs in England and Scotland must be removed as soon as possible for our sector to survive and recover.”