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In a surprising turn of events, Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire will not be part of England's squad for the upcoming European Championship in Germany. The news, reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic, was confirmed on Thursday afternoon. Grealish, who has 36 caps for the national team, had a disappointing season with Manchester City. Despite playing in 36 official matches, he managed to score only three goals and provide three assists. This lackluster performance led to his omission by England's manager, Gareth Southgate.
Maguire, a seasoned player with 63 international appearances, has been struggling with a calf injury since the end of April. This injury not only kept him off the pitch for the latter part of the season but also dashed his hopes of participating in the Euros. Earlier on Thursday, the English Football Association announced that Maguire was undergoing an individual training program and would not join the group training session. It has now been confirmed that his injury is severe enough to rule him out of the tournament.
Southgate makes choices
Southgate's preliminary squad for the Euros initially included 33 players, meaning seven had to be cut to meet the maximum squad size of 26. Alongside Grealish and Maguire, it was previously announced that James Maddison, Curtis Jones, and James Trafford would not make the final cut. According to The Athletic, Jarell Quansah also missed out. Southgate is expected to announce his final squad by Friday. That evening, England will play a friendly match against Iceland. The Three Lions will kick off their Euro campaign against Serbia on Sunday, May 16. They are also grouped with Denmark and Slovenia.
Euro 2024 squad
Here is a look at the 26 man squad that Southgate will announce tomorrow:
- Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
- Defenders: Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), John Stones (Manchester City), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
- Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
- Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
The final England squad will need to demonstrate their qualities as they head into the tournament with the hope of bringing the European Championship trophy home. The absence of key players like Grealish and Maguire will undoubtedly be felt, but it opens the door for others to step up and shine on the international stage.
