Marcus Rashford misses out on provisional England squad for Euro 2024

admin admin | 05-22 00:16

England manager Gareth Southgate has left Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson out of his provisional Euro 2024 squad.

With 26 days to go until their group opener against Serbia, the national team boss has named a 33-strong training squad that has to be cut to a maximum of 26 players by 7 June.

Rashford - who has been to the last four major tournaments - and vice-captain Henderson - a veteran of six tournaments - are the most high-profile omissions.

The former has struggled for form at Manchester United this season, with the latter joining Ajax in January having made a controversial move to Saudi side Al-Ettifaq last summer.

Southgate said: "These are difficult calls, you are talking about players who are very good players who have been an important part of what we have done.

"With Marcus, I feel players in the same area of the pitch have had better seasons, it's as simple as that.

"Hendo has given himself every chance, the determining factor is the injury he picked up in the last camp, he missed five weeks and he just hasn't been able to get to the intensity since the games since then.

"He is a fantastic professional and it was a difficult call to make."

Raheem Sterling's absence from the long list is less surprising, with Chelsea team-mates Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Levi Colwill also omitted.

Luke Shaw has been included despite being laid low since February, with Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka also selected despite recent injury concerns.

Southgate said Shaw is a "long shot" to make the tournament in Germany.

"He is up against it, he has missed a lot of football," the boss said.

"Because he has been our first choice left-back we are giving him more time. I am not sure what is realistic at this moment in time.

"I have talked with him and the medical staff and I have liaised with Manchester United very closely. I have to say he is a long shot."

The training group includes a number of uncapped players. Liverpool youngsters Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah have been included for the first time, while there is a first call-up for Adam Wharton.

The Crystal Palace midfielder is joined in the squad by team-mates Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Dean Henderson.

Uncapped Jarrad Branthwaite and James Trafford have both been included after taking part in the senior camp for the first time in March.

Kobbie Mainoo, 19, is the youngest member of the squad having impressed on his maiden call-up in March. Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins have both been included on the long list.

Further explaining his selection, Southgate said that his choices had been harder than his previous three major tournaments in charge.

"This has been as complicated a group as I can remember picking," he added. "And we've had quite a few complicated ones!

"But I think we can make better decisions by giving ourselves more time. There are moments where actually time doesn’t help you to make a better decision but in this instance it will.

"There’s a lot to think about over the next couple of weeks. I’d have loved it to have been cleaner and more definitive. But it’s not a situation we’re in."

England play warm-up friendlies against Bosnia at St James’ Park on 3 June before hosting Iceland at Wembley on 7 June, when they must submit their final 26-man squad to UEFA.

"I would say we’ve never had so many unknown situations," Southgate said.

"We’ve had tournaments where we’ve taken a player that we would be pretty certain would be back for a certain moment of the tournament.

"We’ve had tournaments where we’ve had two English teams in the Champions League final and not had players for the games.

"So, yeah, they’re different problems, but we’re used to dealing with it and the key is making the best possible decisions."

England squad: Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker

Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton

Forwards: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins

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