Gareth Southgate will have a huge decision on his hands in the coming weeks, as he will need to select his best possible England squad for the 2024 European Championships.
He has already selected a squad of 33 players, but this will need to be reduced to 26 ahead of the tournament, with a deadline of June 8 having been set. This is a favourable deadline for the coaching team of the Three Lions, as they will have played two friendlies before then, one against Bosnia & Herzegovina and one against Iceland, which will take place on June 7.
However, the boss’s decisions are still likely to be very tough.
Who has Southgate already selected for England’s 2024 Euros squad?
As mentioned, Southgate has named a preliminary group of 33 for the upcoming friendlies. The players selected are:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), 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 United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Given the quality of the squad that has been selected, despite the fact that seven names will need to be axed, it’s no surprise that there are many favouring the Three Lions to be the main contenders for the 2024 Euros. The England odds to win EURO 2024 are currently 3/1 at Unibet UK, edging just past the odds of 4/1 that France have been priced at.
Surprise omissions have already been made
At this moment in time, it could be anyone’s guess as to what Southgate decides to do in terms of his final squad. For many, it was a surprise that there were a few names omitted from this initial list given the historic tendency the manager has with many of his selections.
While Raheem Sterling’s cut wasn’t perhaps all that surprising as he has missed every squad since the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the manager’s decision to leave out players like Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson was surprising. Both have been trusted individuals in the past, but it seems Southgate has decided to go based on form rather than trust.
Other individuals have missed out due to injuries, while the form of others over the last Premier League season (and abroad) has meant fierce competition for players in the 26-man squad.
What players are likely to be cut from England’s squad?
However, there will be seven players who will be told the news that they don’t want to hear by June 8, and who might be receiving those crushing words doesn’t appear to be very clear at the moment.
We’d expect to see at least one of the goalkeepers be told that they aren’t making the main tournament, with James Trafford perhaps the man to miss out. Elsewhere, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the majority of the cuts were to be made from the attacking department.
Currently, 11 players that fit the category of forwards have been selected, a number that is far too great for a team that can only boast 26 players. Nonetheless, with the quality available in this area of the field, it will be hard to imagine which names aren’t getting on the plane to Germany when each of them deserves the chance to do so.
Friendlies are the final saloon for many
The upcoming friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland are the last-chance saloon for many of the 33 to have been selected, but there may not be enough minutes on the pitch for each of them to showcase their reasons as to why they should be in the final squad.
Each player will need to play their very best and not put a foot wrong if they are to have a chance of making the 2024 European Championships. There are plenty of expectations on the shoulders of England this summer, and each player selected is going to have to make sure they are up for the battle.
