Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire join England camp early in bid to prove fitness

Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire have linked up with Gareth Southgate’s squad early as the England duo bid to prove their fitness for this summer’s European Championship.

With the June 16th group opener against Serbia looming large, the Euro 2020 runners-up convened in County Durham on Wednesday for the start of their pre-tournament training camp.

Shaw and Maguire have reported to England’s training base at Middlesbrough’s Rockliffe Park, where only six of Southgate’s long list were absent.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is preparing for the Champions League final against former club Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening.

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Southgate confirmed he will play no part in either of the upcoming friendlies against Bosnia and Iceland but those involved in last Saturday’s all-Manchester FA Cup final could play in the second match.

Defeated City players John Stones, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish along with 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who continued his inexorable rise with a goal in United’s 2-1 win, are yet to link up with the squad.

Southgate said at last Tuesday’s squad unveiling he has never had to deal with as many complications as he has selecting this England squad.

Fitness concerns are chief among those headaches, with Euro 2020 final goalscorer Shaw recently suffering a setback as he looks to recover from a muscle injury that has sidelined him since mid-February.

Southgate admitted the left-back is a “long shot” and concerns remain over Manchester United team-mate Maguire, who has been out for a month with a muscle issue of his own.

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“Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire have had injuries at the end of the season with United,