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Euro 2020: Matches with the biggest Chelsea influence

By Nate Hofmann

England's midfielder Mason Mount (R) celebrates his goal with his teammate England's defender Benjamin Chilwell during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group A football match between Kosovo and England at the Fadil Vokrri stadium in Prishtina on November 17, 2019. (Photo by Armend NIMANI / AFP) (Photo by ARMEND NIMANI/AFP via Getty Images)
England's midfielder Mason Mount (R) celebrates his goal with his teammate England's defender Benjamin Chilwell during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group A football match between Kosovo and England at the Fadil Vokrri stadium in Prishtina on November 17, 2019. (Photo by Armend NIMANI / AFP) (Photo by ARMEND NIMANI/AFP via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 12: Conor Hourihane of Republic of Ireland challenges Reece James of England during the international friendly match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium on November 12, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mike Egerton – Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 12: Conor Hourihane of Republic of Ireland challenges Reece James of England during the international friendly match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium on November 12, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mike Egerton – Pool/Getty Images) /

England vs. Scotland

When: Friday, June 18
England: Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Mason Mount
Scotland: Billy Gilmour

We already covered England, but it’s worth considering how Gareth Southgate might iterate on his squad after seeing some more training and a competitive match for his actual full squad. If any of Mount, James or Chilwell don’t feature against Croatia, this should be a perfect chance to integrate them into the starting line-up against a Scotland side that should concede plenty of possession to England. It would let the Chelsea players get into a groove with their teammates.

Unfortunately for Mount, he will be rendered completely irrelevant from the first whistle to the last by the all-conquering Billy Gilmour, who will stand stalwart in the middle of the pitch doing a concerningly spot-on William Wallace impression.

That fever dream aside, there’s really no telling whether Gilmour will be a major player for Scotland in this tournament. It feels like this Euros might have come just a bit too early for him to be an established starter, especially with a cast of seasoned, top-flight midfielders around him. John McGinn and Scott McTominay are the standouts, but there’s a handful of other Premier League names in the squad, several of whom would be in direct competition with Gilmour for a starting role in central midfield. There would be nothing better than to see Gilmour be the breakout starlet of the tournament, but it does feel like this Euros came a year or two too soon for him really come into his own.

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

A maddening result for England that will feel like the victory of all victories for Scotland.

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