Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold make positive fitness step in England draw

Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold both started as England were held to a 0-0 draw by Denmark on Tuesday, with the pair avoiding injury in a big positive for Liverpool.

The Three Lions closed off their September break with a trip to Copenhagen, following up their late 1-0 victory over Iceland with their second group game in the UEFA Nations League.

Gomez started his second successive game for England, as he establishes himself as a first-choice centre-back for Gareth Southgate, while Alexander-Arnold was deemed fit enough to make the XI against Denmark.

The 21-year-old began as a wing-back in a 3-4-3 formation, with Southgate accomodating the debuting Conor Coady at the heart of his defence.

It was a largely unremarkable night for England, though it sprang into life briefly with the late introduction of Jack Grealish, also on his debut, who looked to drive his country towards victory every time he picked up the ball.

Harry Kane had a handful of chances to put the Three Lions ahead, too, but to no avail as the two sides were left to settle for a goalless draw.

Gomez played the full 90 minutes, while Alexander-Arnold was brought off with four to play, which is perhaps a positive sign ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League opener on Saturday.

The No. 66’s pre-season been entirely comprised of England outings, having trained individually before linking up with his national team, missing the Reds’ training camp in Austria due to a minor injury problem.

It is likely both Gomez and Alexander-Arnold start against Leeds this weekend, though there is a chance Jurgen Klopp opts for Neco Williams if the latter is not deemed fit enough after a disrupted preparation.

Beyond Kostas Tsimikas, who allegedly tested positive for COVID-19 while on Greece duty, there appears to have been no fitness issues to arise from the international break.

That should give Klopp a strong squad to choose from for the season opener at Anfield, with the added bonus of having worked with the majority of his midfield and attack at Melwood over the past week.