England reporter notebook: 34 players hopeful of Euros call when Gareth Southgate names squad on Tuesday
Thirty-four players will be waiting nervously for a call from Gareth Southgate on Tuesday, when he names his squad of 26 for the upcoming Euros. Rob Dorsett looks at the key decisions the England manager has to make, position by position…
Southgate is planning to include Kalvin Phillips, Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson in his squad and will be buoyed by the news that they are all expected to be able to train once the England squad meets up next week.
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Much depends on where Southgate sees his priorities. Does he want more defensive cover (and so could take Tyrone Mings and Conor Coady); or more wing-back options (which would be positive for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James); or does he want to maximise his attacking options off the bench (which plays into Jesse Lingard’s and Mason Greenwood’s hands)?
As ever – the choices Southgate makes will be controversial, and much discussed between now and England’s first Group D game against Croatia on June 13.
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson are England’s number one and two – they’re guaranteed their places.
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Nick Pope will undergo surgery on a knee problem in the next few days, and while he hasn’t been ruled out of the Euros yet, Sam Johnstone is likely to win a call-up in his place.
Defenders
Ben Chilwell, Luke Shaw, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Eric Dier and Maguire are all expected to be included, even though Maguire is likely to miss Manchester United’s Europa League final on Wednesday.
A key question mark surrounds Alexander-Arnold, surprisingly left out of Southgate’s last international squad in March. Will he be included this time? Or will Southgate opt for Chelsea’s James, who has featured in two of England’s last three World Cup Qualifiers?
It is unlikely there will be space in the squad for both, and while the England boss highly values Alexander-Arnold’s ability going forward and from set pieces, he has voiced concerns in the past about his defensive form.
Similarly, Mings and Coady will both be anxiously wondering if they’ve made the final cut. The injury to Maguire might mean Southgate wants extra cover at centre back – but will he have room, even in an extended squad of 26, to include both?
Midfielders
Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Phil Foden and James Ward-Prowse are all guaranteed a place in the squad, as are Henderson and Phillips – now that they’ve been passed fit.
The recent fitness concerns over Rice, Henderson and Phillips make Eric Dier’s inclusion even more probable – he’s England’s only other option in a holding midfield role, and his versatility is priceless for Southgate.
Jack Grealish, who’s recovered from a shin injury, and Bukayo Saka, who is back to form after a thigh problem, can both have strong hopes of inclusion.
The extended squad looks to have helped Borussia Dortmund’s midfielder Jude Bellingham. The 17-year-old’s energy and ability to track back as well as push forward should make him an attractive option for the England manager – especially with the injury concerns to others.
Forwards
Golden-boot winning captain Harry Kane will be the first name on the team sheet for each game, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin established as his first-choice deputy. Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling are also shoe-ins for the squad, but after that, Southgate has some very difficult choices to make.
Jadon Sancho missed out on the last England squad for the World Cup Qualifiers in March, but has returned to form with Dortmund spectacularly in the latter stages of the Bundesliga season – he would feel much aggrieved if he missed out on the Euros.
But for Greenwood, Lingard, Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins and Patrick Bamford it is not so simple. All five are in contention for a spot, but far from guaranteed one.
Greenwood has been out of favour with the senior squad since being sent home from Reykjavik last September for breaching coronavirus rules. But his resurgent form for Manchester United in the latter stages of the season have made a compelling case for his inclusion.
Lingard was in the last England squad two months ago, but largely because of the absence of Grealish, and Southgate said he was “lucky” to be included that time.
Ings, Watkins and Bamford are all third-choice strikers behind Kane and Calvert-Lewin, and so are perhaps most vulnerable to missing out – especially because Southgate has opted to use Rashford in a central attacking role in the past.
England’s 34 Euro hopefuls
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, Sam Johnstone, Nick Pope.
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, Luke Shaw, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady.
Midfielders: Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Jordan Henderson, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, James Ward-Prowse, Jude Bellingham.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Ollie Watkins, Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard, Danny Ings, Patrick Bamford.
Monday 7pm: England squad debate on Twitter Spaces
Ahead of England’s Euro 2020 squad announcement, tune in to our expert panel on Sky Sports News’ Twitter Spaces as we debate who makes Southgate’s team.
Southgate will announce his 26-man squad for the delayed summer tournament on Tuesday, with a year-and-a-half of noisy debate finally reaching a crescendo.
To set you up, Sky Sports News’ Twitter account will be hosting a special Twitter Spaces audio event on Monday evening at 7pm going over the four key questions for Southgate:
- Trent vs Trippier vs James – which right-back will be included?
- Will Jordan Henderson make the squad? Plus: The midfield conundrum
- Should England take Mason Greenwood?
- Panel’s starting XI prediction for first game vs Croatia
Host Jasper Taylor @JasperTaylorTV will be joined by former England international Lee Hendrie @leehendrie77 along with Ade Oladipo @ade_oladipo1 and Pitch to Post Podcast regulars Ben Ransom @BenRansomSky and Gerard Brand @GedBrand10.
You can tune in from 7pm on the Sky Sports News Twitter account
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