The footballing world is currently a proper mess, to put it rather mildly – most leagues across the globe have been postponed and shortly after them hitting the gutters, the 2020 Euros followed suit.
But even though that will surely make our summer that much more boring and disappointing, there are actually some players who could definitely use an extra year to prepare for the big tournament.
Be it due to injuries, lack of form or simply not being ready to participate on the big stage, many were bound to miss out on the chance to represent their countries this year.
But with the Euros moved to 2021, some of them might get a second chance at the whole thing.
So without further ado, here are 20 players that will benefit from this whole situation…
Chelsea seemingly have a whole army of players that might benefit from this postponement and Olivier Giroud is definitely among them. The Frenchman has been struggling for game time throughout 2019/20 and with the Euros looming and his minutes scarce, it was looking quite dire for him.
Granted, he will be a year older just like the rest of us and that’s never a good thing for a striker in his 30s but he’ll also have an extra year to pick up his form and warrant a place in the World Cup-winning team.
Reece James has been immensely impressive for Chelsea ever since he broke into the team and despite some injuries looking to halt his progress, he’s been improving ever since.
Still, even with that being said, it’s also fairly safe to say that the 2020 Euros might have come a bit too early for the youngster to get a senior call-up. With an added year to his development, however, the situation just might change…
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has largely struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and even though he’s been recovering well despite some evident setbacks along the way, getting straight into the England squad so soon would probably be a task too big for him.
This postponement might, however, do him a world of good on the road towards finding his best form.
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s case is fairly similar to that of his teammate before him – even though he hasn’t been as tied down by injuries as Loftus-Cheek, the Blues’ ace has been among the first players with a confirmed case of the virus that cancelled the Euros in the first place.
That, paired with his injury problems, could’ve affected his chances of featuring in the competition for sure.
And this is a big one – Harry Kane missing England’s run at the Euros could’ve potentially been disastrous for the Three Lions but there’s now hope they will have their main asset in attack once the competition kicks off in 2021.
Of course, providing that something else doesn’t befall the coveted striker. I don’t think Jose Mourinho could live with that, to be honest. But neither would Southgate…
The very same thing goes for Marcus Rashford as Manchester United’s forward has been out of action for quite some time due to two serious injuries in 2019/20.
And while we don’t know he would miss out on the Euros for sure, this will make sure the young forward can get back to full fitness and in top form next year without question.
Of course, with both Kane and Rashford potentially out of the picture, Mason Greenwood could’ve been poised for his big call-up. And sure, you could argue this makes the situation even worse for the youngster but would the gaffer actually put trust into someone that young to lead the lines for England?
He is talented, there is no denying that, but an extra year could be good for his development and could actually increase his chances when everything is said and done.
Another extremely talented young player that could be looking to hone his skills for the next year or so is definitely Manchester City’s Phil Foden.
We’ve been hearing about how unbelievable this lad is despite being so young but getting a senior call-up at this stage already would’ve been a tall task for Pep Guardiola’s gem. But a lot can happen by the time 2021 rolls in…
David Brooks is one of the players that were unlucky with serious injuries right before such a huge event like the Euros but hey, fortune favours the bold and it seems that Wales won’t be competing without their gem after all.
After undergoing ankle surgery back in August, Bournemouth’s ace was all but ruled out for the tournament but with this postponement official, that might not be the case anymore.
Neco Williams was among the youngsters who heavily impressed during Jurgen Klopp’s hiatus on the sidelines for Liverpool’s Cup ventures but getting into Ryan Giggs’ squad was still a tall order for someone so inexperienced.
An additional year might do him a world of good, however, and he just might make the cut in 2021.
What would Wales do without Joe Allen on the pitch? Of course, they were more than ready to face the prospect of playing without the 30-year-old midfielder as he was already ruled out due to a ruptured Achilles but luck has smiled upon them, as it seems.
With the Euros now taking place in 2021, Allen should make it there fully fit and ready to play.
Mikel Arteta is extremely lucky to have someone of Bukayo Saka’s talent in his midsts but even though the youngster is fully focused on Arsenal right now, his rapid development could potentially warrant Southgate’s attention as well.
Saka has already been capped at youth levels of the England squad but his senior call-up seems like just a matter of time.
It seems that all of England’s strikers have been struggling with something in the build-up to the Euros and Tammy Abraham was no exception as Chelsea’s star striker has been struggling with a number of smaller injuries.
We don’t know how exactly would that have affected his chances but one way or the other, this will definitely be a boost for the young forward.
It would be easy to overlook how good of a season Dwight McNeil is having in 2019/20 – he’s been a big part of Burnley’s resurgent climb up the table and could actually make a big claim for that senior call-up despite the huge competition that’s raging for his position.
2020 would still possibly be a step too close for him, however, and if he can build on everything he’s done so far and improve further, who knows? Maybe there’s a spot in there for him after all.
Japhet Tanganga is one of the players that truly blossomed in the 2019/20 season and one clear bright spot in Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur squad.
The 20-year-old defender is surely on track to become a certain starter at Spurs but can he actually develop enough to be noticed by Southgate this early in his career? Either way, an additional year to get to the required level might just be enough even though the competition is fierce.
Eden Hazard’s dream move to Real Madrid has been all but dreamy. Arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium clearly overweight and unfit, the Belgian began accumulating various niggling injuries along the way.
Even though the Euros were not completely ruled out for him, his form would’ve been put under a big question mark even if he did make it to the Belgium squad. But now he has an extra year to find his brilliant best that we all know is somewhere out there.
Paul Pogba’s case is fairly similar to that of Hazard. Injuries have kept him on the sidelines for the majority of the 2019/20 season and with almost no game time under his belt, the Frenchman’s participation at the Euros was not really set in stone.
There’s no denying he is a huge part of both Manchester United and France but only when he’s fit. At the moment, he doesn’t really look that way. This break will do him a world of good.
Pogba’s compatriot, Ousmane Dembele, is in the exact same boat – Barcelona’s young star forward has been injured numerous times in the past couple of years and it’s still unknown when he’ll make his big comeback.
Football taking a break and Euros being postponed just might have been the best thing to happen to Dembele in a long while. Let’s see if he can use it well…
Memphis Depay suffered a serious knee injury but was actually expected to make full recovery just in the knick of time. July 1st was the date circled on the calendar but the current Lyon and former Man United forward would have a hard time getting match ready and firing on all cylinders by the time Euros rolled around.
This postponement means he will get a whole year to start balling once again.
Finally, Italy’s big talent, Nicolo Zaniolo should also make a full recovery from his cruciate knee ligament damage that was bound to keep him out of commission until August.
But in light of recent events, the young star should be more than ready to feature for Roberto Mancini in 2021.
