Jude Bellingham has been cleared to play in England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland by UEFA.
The England midfielder, who scored a sensational bicycle kick in the last-16 victory over Slovakia to take the tie into extra-time, was investigated by UEFA over a gesture he made after his celebration.
Bellingham has been handed a suspended one-match ban and a €30,000 (£25,406) fine.
UEFA says the ban “is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one year”.
The Football Association has also been fined a total of €11,000 (£9,312) for crowd disturbances (€10,000) and the lighting of fireworks (€1,000).
Analysis: Where will Bellingham play vs Switzerland?
Bellingham’s last-gasp equaliser against Slovakia kept England in the tournament
Sky Sports News’ senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
How best to accommodate Bellingham is becoming a key conundrum. In many ways, he is England’s best player, but also Southgate’s biggest problem.
Southgate could ask him to play deeper than he has done all season for Real Madrid – as a ‘No 8’ rather than a No 10 – but there are concerns that having not played in the role for so long, he may not have the positional discipline to be effective defensively.
There is also a risk that if you give both Bellingham and Phil Foden a free role, they may take up each others’ space and make the same runs – which has been a problem already in this tournament when Foden has drifted in from the left wing.
The other option under consideration, according to sources, is to play either Kobbie Mainoo or Conor Gallagher in a ‘No 6’ role alongside Declan Rice. This would provide the two defensive midfield buffers that have been a common theme of Southgate’s time as England manager, but it will limit the number of offensively-minded players on the pitch.
Read the rest of Rob Dorsett’s analysis on England’s selection dilemmas…