Gareth Southgate names final 26-man England squad as seven players are axed

England boss Gareth Southgate has named his final 26-man squad for this summer’s delayed Euro 2020 tournament with seven unlucky players all missing out.

The Three Lions named a provisional 33-man squad last week with Southgate keen to delay his final decision until Tuesday’s deadline due to a number of injury concerns and the large contingent of players involved in European finals.

In total, 12 players either started or were on the bench for the Champions League and Europa League finals, all of whom emerged unscathed from the contests.

Southgate was particularly sweating over the fitness of Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, who missed the defeat to Villarreal with an ankle problem, but he has been given the green light to play at the Euros.

Likewise, Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson – who has not played since February – has been passed fit for the tournament.

That means two centre-backs and a midfielder have been cut from the final 26-man squad, with uncapped duo Ben Godfrey and Ben White as well as Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse the players who make way.

Southgate’s task of naming his squad was made a little easier after Mason Greenwood withdrew ‘in order to fully recover from an underlying injury’ though there were still some surprises when the final squad was announced.

England’s final 26-man squad in full

Jordan Pickford
Dean Henderson
Sam Johnstone

Kyle Walker
Ben Chilwell
John Stones
Harry Maguire
Kieran Trippier
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Conor Coady
Reece James
Tyrone Mings
Luke Shaw

Declan Rice
Jordan Henderson
Phil Foden
Jack Grealish
Bukayo Saka
Kalvin Phillips
Mason Mount
Jude Bellingham

Harry Kane
Jadon Sancho
Raheem Sterling
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Marcus Rashford

The unlucky seven: Aaron Ramsdale, James Ward-Prowse, Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood, Ben White, Ben Godfrey, Ollie Watkins.

The highest-profile player not to make the cut was Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard – who enjoyed a brilliant loan spell at West Ham – while Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale round off the unlucky seven.

Lingard was a man reborn after moving to east London, scoring nine times and laying on four assists in just 16 Premier League appearances, while he was also awarded the Man of the Match award in England’s easy 5-0 win over San Marino in March.

Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold’s place in the squad had been rumoured to be under threat but he is one of four right-backs picked by Southgate.

The other three all won major honours this year: Manchester City’s Kyle Walker won the Premier League and Carabao Cup, Reece James lifted the Champions League with Chelsea and Kieran Trippier was a La Liga winner with Atletico.

Although England have now submitted their final squad, unlimited replacements can be made before the first match – which for the Three Lions is against Croatia on Sunday June 13 – in the event of serious injury or illness (which includes a close contact with someone who tests positive for coronavirus).

Goalkeepers can also be replaced during the tournament in the event of injury, even if two are still fit and available for selection, though players cannot be re-added to the squad if they are replaced.

England’s squad are currently preparing for their first pre-tournament friendly against Austria on Wednesday – which is not expected to feature any of the players involved in last week’s European finals – and then take on Romania on Sunday, with both games played at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

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