Euro 2020 - 'He never hides' - Jose Mourinho wishes England would start Jack Grealish against Denmark
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Published 07/07/2021 at 11:53 GMT
Jose Mourinho wishes Jack Grealish would start against Denmark in their Euro 2020 semi-final, but thinks Bukayo Saka will get the nod ahead of the playmaker. "I like the guy because he never hides, he creates unbalanced situations for the opposition, he is very, very brave, he breaks the routines of the game and I think when a team is so solid like England," he said.
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Jose Mourinho thinks Jack Grealish would be the perfect player to take on Denmark, but doubts the playmaker will start in the Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley.
Grealish has been used as an impact sub by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2020 with the England manager opting to start with Phil Foden or Bukayo Saka instead.
Mourinho is confident England have the tools to beat Denmark, but admitted if he was in charge of team selection, Grealish would be a nailed on starter.
“Everybody knows I am very, very Grealish… but I know he’s not going to play,” Mourinho told talkSPORT.
I like the guy because he never hides, he creates unbalanced situations for the opposition, he is very, very brave, he breaks the routines of the game.
"Because England is a really, really solid team, especially with this dynamic of [Declan] Rice and [Kalvin] Phillips in front of the back-four, I believe a team always needs a player like Grealish.
“But it doesn’t look like he’s an option to start with Gareth, and Gareth is right, especially if England win the Euros – Gareth is right and we are wrong.
“I would always play Grealish, but I believe it’s not going to be Grealish, I believe it’s going to be Saka.
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“The kid did very well and I like very much a left-footed player coming from the right. They have Saka and they have Foden, but I believe they are going to start with Saka.”
Italy await in the final for the winner of the semi-final on Wednesday night after their thrilling win over Spain on Tuesday.
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England will have home advantage for their clash with the Danes, but Mourinho warned Southgate’s side Denmark won’t roll over the way Ukraine did.
“It’s coming home, but it’s not going to be easy,” he said.
“Denmark are not Ukraine. Before the Ukraine game I said it was no problem if Gareth decides to rest one of the lads in danger of suspension, no problem if Gareth decides to rest Harry Maguire because he comes from a big injury, I was completely convinced it was going to be an easy match.
“But this one, I keep singing, ‘it’s coming home’, but I will also say, ‘be careful, be careful’, because Denmark is a completely different game in terms of the level of opposition.”
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