England bagged a stellar 3-0 win against Wales in a friendly match on October 9 at Wembley Stadium.
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for England just three minutes into the match after being set up by Marc Guehi, who also provided the assist for their second goal, netted by Ollie Watkins in the 11th minute.
Bukayo Saka then found the back of the net for the Three Lions from an assist by Ezri Konsa in the 20th minute.
In the concluding minutes of the first half, Watkins attempted to take England's goal tally to four following a low cross, but instead suffered a harsh collision with the woodwork. The 29-year-old was down on the pitch, visibly enduring a severe amount of pain as medics arrived while he was surrounded by concerned teammates.
After initial on-field medical attention, Watkins stood up and insisted on finishing the half as a round of applause erupted from the crowd at Wembley. He was replaced by Marcus Rashford on the pitch at the beginning of the second half.
Speaking after the match, England head coach Thomas Tuchel provided an update on Watkins, referring to the incident as 'very painful,' while assuring that there was 'no harm done,' and said,
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"He's OK, it was a clear goal normally for him. Unfortunately, he saw the ball too late and couldn't score and crashed into the post. It was very, very painful, but as I understand it now, it's only painful, so no harm done," as per GOAL.
What's next for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins?
Watkins was handed the start against Wales due to England captain Harry Kane's absence after picking up a knock. In the pre-match press conference, Tuchel confirmed the Bayern Munich star's unavailability, while mentioning that he will return to action in their upcoming World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
"Harry will miss the game. He got a kick in his last match with Bayern Munich. It was too painful to kick a ball, it was too risky that he gets another kick and will just like be in an up and down situation pain-wise, so we gave him the chance that everything calms down. We are convinced that he will be ready for the match against Latvia."
Kane's expected return to the pitch for England would potentially mean a start from the bench for Watkins.
Following the international break, Watkins and Aston Villa will return to Premier League action in their match against Tottenham Hotspur on October 19.
England news and related links
- Who can qualify for the World Cup this week? England among teams who can punch ticket for 2026 FIFA finals
- Bukayo Saka opens up after emotional England moment at Wembley
- Man Utd’s hidden gem just got a surprise England call from Thomas Tuchel