Euro 2024 day 16: England looking to improve as last-16 gets underway

England are fine tuning preparations for Sunday’s Euro 2024 last-16 meeting with Slovakia following criticism of their group stage performances.

Reigning champions Italy will launch the tournament’s knockout ties against Switzerland in Berlin before hosts Germany take on Denmark in Dortmund.

Here, the PA news agency looks ahead to day 16 of the European Championships.

Saka not the Wright left-back solution

Bukayo Saka has insisted he is not the answer to England’s left-back conundrum.

Gareth Southgate’s side has looked unbalanced throughout a campaign which brought top spot in Group C despite three underwhelming performances.

Right-back Kieran Trippier filled in on the left against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia but missed training on Thursday amid reports he is carrying a knock.

With Luke Shaw, the only recognised left-back in Southgate’s ranks, still working back to full fitness having been sidelined since February, the England manager may need someone else to step in against Slovakia.

Pundit Ian Wright is among those to have suggested Saka but the 22-year-old Arsenal player, who performed the role earlier in his career, said: “I don’t think putting me out of position is the solution. We will just have to trust whoever Gareth selects on the day.”

Foden back in the fold

Phil Foden has returned to the England camp having temporarily left Germany for the birth of his third child.

The 24-year-old started all three group games before flying home to the UK for what the Football Association called “a pressing family matter”.

He was welcomed back into the group and trained on Friday.

Manager Southgate has faced calls to mix up his misfiring attack for the crunch clash in Gelsenkirchen.

Forwards Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon, who has become the butt of jokes after falling off his bike and gashing his chin, are among those pushing Foden for a starting berth following positive cameos in Tuesday’s dour goalless draw with Slovenia.

Nagelsmann wary of the Dane-ger

Julian Nagelsmann feels Germany must be prepared to face more “difficult situations” when they meet Denmark for a place in the quarter-finals.

After opening the tournament with a convincing 5-1 win over Scotland and then grinding out a 2-0 victory against Hungary, the hosts left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw against Switzerland and claim top spot in Group A.

“The group stage was very interesting for us,” manager Nagelsmann told a press conference.

“We started with a kind of easier game than we expected, then we had a more complicated game against Hungary, who did brilliant with the physical stuff, and in the Switzerland game we struggled to score an equaliser.

“We had to deal with things, it is important to get to learn how to overcome difficult situations, so we are well prepared for the knockout stage as well.”

“The time is now” for defending champions Italy

Italy boss Luciano Spalletti admits his side need to step up performances if they want to do their country proud against Switzerland.

The Azzurri stuttered through a tricky Group B comprising Spain, Croatia and Albania.

Spalletti, who has developed a reputation for his outbursts in Germany, was calmer as he confirmed Federico Dimarco has been ruled out of the contest at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, where Italy lifted the World Cup after a penalty shootout with France in 2006.

“We have to do more than we have done so far (to make the Italian people proud),” he said. “The draw put us in a tough group and the players struggled with that.

“Now I expect to see the players a little more relaxed because it’s a knockout match. There are no permutations; the time is now. We can only make it to the next round if we win this game.”

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Who’s up next?

Switzerland v Italy 5pm, BBC One

Germany v Denmark 8pm, ITV1