After a last-minute change of heart, Gareth Southgate has agreed to postpone naming his final England’s Euro 2020 squad, instead of waiting until June 1 to cut the roster to 26 players. The presence of English clubs in the Champions League and Europa League finals this week has complicated England’s plans, and the manager needs more time to evaluate players who have been injured.
BREAKING: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben White, Ben Godfrey and Aaron Ramsdale have all been named in England's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2020, but Eric Dier misses out.
Full squad…⬇
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 25, 2021
At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Southgate will announce a provisional team, with the number of players involved possibly reaching 30. Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool will have a chance to win over the boss, as his place in the final cut is in jeopardy.
Before their opening match against Croatia on June 13 at Wembley, England has questions about a few main players. Harry Maguire will miss Manchester United’s Europa League final against Villarreal on Wednesday due to ankle ligament damage, Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson has only recently returned from a long-term groin injury, and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope will undergo knee surgery three weeks before the tournament.
Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United is also a doubt after sustaining a shoulder injury against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
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With his U-turn, Southgate has bought himself some time. He doesn’t want to be without Maguire, one of his best defenders, and he respects Henderson’s leadership. Despite the fact that Henderson hasn’t played since February, he is one of England’s most experienced players. Southgate could have done without Phillips’ red card if Henderson had been able to maintain match sharpness.
The midfielder has been given a positive update by Leeds, but it is unclear if he will be available on June 13th. Since Southgate wants to give players a week off after their club seasons, England is unlikely to field their best team in warm-up matches against Austria on 2 June and Romania on 6 June in Middlesbrough.
The final of England’s Euro 2020
The Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City takes place in Porto on Saturday, following United’s match against Villarreal. Due to the tight schedule, United’s Dean Henderson, Luke Shaw, Mason Greenwood, and Marcus Rashford will miss the Austria game, while City and Chelsea players are unsure about the Romanian visit.
Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden, and Raheem Sterling are among Southgate’s City players, while Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Mason Mount are among Chelsea’s. Today, Southgate is expected to bolster his squad by bringing in fringe players.
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Danny Ings, BukayoSaka, Ollie Watkins, Eric Dier, Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane, and Jesse Lingard may all profit from the manager’s attention. By summoning representatives of England’s Under-21 team, he could increase the number of people at training.
The key topic of discussion would be whether Southgate faces a backlash from the public by leaving Alexander-Arnold out. The Liverpool right-back is expected to be the most high-profile exclusion from the final roster, despite the 22-year-improved old’s form in the final weeks of the season helping his club qualify for the Champions League.
Instead, Southgate is leaning toward Walker, James, and Kieran Trippier of Atlético Madrid. James’s location, on the other hand, is uncertain. The spectators of Euro 2020 England are eagerly waiting for the game.