Gareth Southgate is on a collision course for a club-vs-country row on the eve of the Euros… with Tottenham and Newcastle planning to take their stars on a 10,000-mile trip to Australia for a post-season friendly

England boss Gareth Southgate is on course for a club-versus-country row on the eve of the European Championship, with Tottenham and Newcastle intent on taking their international stars to Australia.

The Premier League rivals will play a friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday, May 22. They will make the 10,000-mile journey immediately after the final round of league fixtures three days earlier.

Southgate, though, is set to name his provisional England squad for the Euros on May 21, and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon and Tottenham’s James Maddison will be in contention.

That is hardly likely to please Southgate, whose squad will gather the following week ahead of a friendly versus Bosnia at St James’ Park on June 3. They face Iceland at Wembley three days later before the final squad is submitted on June 8.

Gareth Southgate is on course for a club-versus-country row on the eve of the Euros

 Newcastle and Tottenham are intent on playing a post-season friendly in Australia on May 22 

It is understood both clubs expect all players who are fit and available to travel to Melbourne

While Spurs will return to the UK following the game against Newcastle, Eddie Howe and his team will stay on for an exhibition match with the A-League All Stars on May 24. 

It raises the possibility of the likes of Trippier and Gordon – and potentially Nick Pope and Callum Wilson – spending the week that would ordinarily be used for holiday instead travelling to and from the other side of the world.

Gordon, in theory, could have played 52 matches for club and country this season, plus the six from last summer’s Under-21 Euros, after which he skipped a holiday to return for pre-season. It runs the risk of burnout before a ball has been kicked in Germany.

Kieran Trippier (left) and Anthony Gordon (right) could travel for the fixture in Melbourne 

It could mean that several of his key stars are travelling long distances a week before the Euros

It is not just England chiefs who will be concerned. Newcastle players Martin Dubravka (Slovakia) and Fabian Schar (Switzerland) as well as Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Denmark), Radu Dragusin (Romania), Brennan Johnson and Ben Davies (Wales) and Micky van de Den (Holland) could all be involved at the Euros, which kick off on June 14.

There are also the South American stars set to play at the Copa America in June, including Brazil quartet Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Richarlison and Emerson Royal.