Jordan Pickford’s ‘weird’ injury baffles Lee Dixon live during England clash
Jordan Pickford confused Lee Dixon with a “weird” injury to the Everton keeper while playing for England.
Everton number one Pickford started in goal for the Three Lions in their latest World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening at Wembley.
Early in the first half, prior to Bukayo Saka’s opener, Pickford went down inside his area and was tended to by a pair of the England staff.
Meanwhile the rest of the starting XI all went to the touchline to congregate around Thomas Tuchel and receive tactical instructions while the game was stopped.
Dixon confused by tactical injury from Everton star Pickford
Pickford appeared to tell the referee that he was going to be alright and subsequently was fine to continue.
But Dixon, commentating on the game alongside Sam Matterface for ITV, was apparently baffled by the sequence.
After play restarted he said: “That was a weird one, the goalkeeper goes down because he doesn’t need any tactics, and the rest of them go and talk to Thomas?”
Everton can’t afford a Pickford injury
The Everton keeper certainly appeared to have gone down on purpose so the manager could speak to the rest of the players, in what is highly unlikely to be a world first despite Dixon’s confusion.
Toffees supporters might have had hearts in mouths briefly when the camera panned to the 31-year-old down on the turf, as might David Moyes if the Scot was watching an England game.
But there didn’t appear to be any indications of a real problem for the remainder of the first half so it was little more than a false alarm from an Everton point of view.
England also face Albania on Sunday before Pickford returns to Everton for the trip to face Man United at Old Trafford on 24 November.
But with the national team already qualified for the summer so whether Tuchel will opt to rotate his keeper at the weekend remains to be seen.
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