After Gareth Southgate named a provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024 on May 21, seven players were axed yesterday to finalise the 26-man squad representing England this summer. Competition for a place in the squad was fierce, as England have an abundance of talent at their disposal. Southgate had tough decisions to make to whittle down his squad ahead of what could be a memorable summer for the Three Lions, but who from the provisional squad has missed out?
Provisional squad
The provisional 33-man squad, which Southgate had to whittle down:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), James Trafford (Burnley).
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).
Forwards: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Who Was Cut from the Final Squad?
England announced their final Euro squad yesterday evening, ahead of tomorrow’s friendly against Iceland.
The seven players who were axed from the squad were: James Maddison, Curtis Jones, Harry Maguire, James Trafford, Jack Grealish, Jarell Quansah and Jarrad Branthwaite.
James Maddison and Curtis Jones were first to depart camp yesterday, having been told they are not part of England’s final Euro 2024 squad. Maddison will be disappointed to miss out on the squad after a bright 30-minute cameo against Bosnia on Monday.
Jones on the other hand was a surprise inclusion in the provisional squad, and it does not come as too much of a shock that there was no room for the 23-year-old, who is yet to make his senior debut, in Southgate’s squad.
Harry Maguire took to social media yesterday afternoon to announce that despite his best efforts, he has been unable to overcome a calf injury and is “absolutely gutted” that he will not be able to represent England this summer. This could be a big blow for the Three Lions, as the Manchester United centre-half has been a mainstay in the England side in recent years and a consistent performer for his country.
21-year-old Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has shown potential for his club and also in the England youth teams, winning the 2023 Under-21 European Championship and making some huge saves, including a penalty stop in the final. However, it looks as though the tournament comes too soon for the young keeper, who could still have a bright future for the Three Lions ahead.
Jack Grealish has also been left out of the squad. The winger has had a difficult season at Manchester City, netting three goals in 20 appearances for the club, however, his exclusion will still come as a surprise to many.
Having been a key figure in Southgate’s side in recent years, Luke Shaw is facing a race to be fit for the tournament. Shaw is widely regarded as England’s best left-back, however, a lack of match fitness will be a real concern for Southgate. The fullback has not played a single minute of football since mid-February due to a hamstring injury.
The England boss is clearly an admirer of Shaw and has taken the risk to include Shaw in the final squad. The left-back heads into the tournament lacking match fitness and sharpness, and there is a chance he may not be fully fit to feature until the latter stages of the tournament, which shows just how highly Southgate values Shaw.
Jarell Quansah’s exclusion from the squad does not come as a massive surprise. The 21-year-old defender has impressed with Liverpool this season, however, Quansah is another young player who this tournament has come too soon for, as Southgate has opted for experience in defence.
Jarrad Branthwaite is another young centre-back who has impressed in the North-West this season, having been a standout player for Everton but has missed out at the final hurdle. Both of these players are young and still have room to develop, and there is hope they could go on to be integral players for England in the future.
It remains to be seen if Southgate has made the correct decisions regarding personnel, as he looks to lead England to Men’s European Championship glory for the first time in their history, in what is set to be an exciting summer of football.
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