England striker Danny Welbeck could potentially have a key role to play in France this summer, but doubts remain over his fitness.
The Arsenal forward has recently returned to first-team action for Arsene Wenger’s side, and has impressed for the most part having scored three goals in five Premier League games to date.
Although Roy Hodgson will have the likes of Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy at his disposal too, Welbeck is seen by many as an excellent option to have in the squad as he showed how important he can be during England’s qualification campaign.
While his return to action has been reassuring, his inability to train fully with the rest of the England squad this week was a concern, as noted by The Guardian.
The striker’s involvement had been limited after discussions with Arsenal’s medical staff as he continues to make a full recovery from the knee injury that sidelined him for almost 10 months.
Welbeck has yet to complete a full 90 minutes since returning, and there are also doubts over whether or not he can play twice in a week given the length of his spell on the sidelines coupled with how the injury will effect him moving forward.
That is problematic for England given the nature of the Euro 2016 schedule, particularly in the group stages, and so Hodgson will have a difficult decision to make on whether or not to take the gamble and include the former Manchester United man in his final squad.
A strong finish to the campaign with the Gunners will arguably make it a simple choice, as if Welbeck continues to score goals and impress then he will deserve his shot at a major tournament this summer.
Hodgson has previously shown great faith and loyalty to players that have served him well in the past, and a fully-fit and firing Welbeck will be a significant boost for him and the Three Lions as they look to make an impression in France.