Gareth Southgate picks his 26-player England squad for Euro 2024; Harry Maguire, Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Jarrad Branthwaite, Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah and James Trafford have been culled; Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze, Kobbie Mainoo, Lewis Dunk and Jarrod Bowen make the cut
Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire have been left out of England’s final squad for Euro 2024.
Maguire misses out due to a calf injury that has kept him out of action since mid-April, while his Manchester United team-mate Luke Shaw makes the cut despite not having played since February due to a hamstring problem.
Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen have been selected ahead of Man City’s Grealish, a £100m signing from Aston Villa in 2021 and three-time Premier League winner.
Follow reaction to Gareth Southgate’s squad announcement here
James Maddison and Curtis Jones have also been culled with Crystal Palace duo Adam Wharton, uncapped until Monday’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Eberechi Eze preferred, making the Eagles the most-represented club in the squad with four players.
Southgate has picked Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez and Ezri Konsa as potential centre-back partners for John Stones, leaving out Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah.
Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo, who made his international debut against Brazil in March, has also been selected, while Southgate has opted to take Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins as deputies to Harry Kane.
England can make late replacements to their squad until their first game at the Euros on June 16 against Serbia if a player has been injured or falls sick, while goalkeepers can be changed throughout the tournament.
England’s final 26-player squad for Euro 2024
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal).
Defenders: Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).
Forwards: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
Maguire ‘devastated’ & Maddison surprised
“I am devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer,” Maguire posted on social media.
“Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted.”
Maddison tweeted earlier: “Devastated doesn’t quite cut it. Trained well and worked hard all week but if I’m honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn’t at the levels I had set which gave Gareth a decision to make.
“I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different & had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign.”
Analysis: Snub an unexpected blow for Grealish
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
“It’s a big blow to Grealish and it is unexpected. Grealish himself decided to turn up early for training as part of the Manchester City squad that was part of the FA Cup final.
“He arrived at the earliest opportunity to try to prove his fitness and show how desperate he was to be part of this squad but Southgate feels he has better options elsewhere.
“Grealish and Marcus Rashford have fewer goals and assists across the 2023/24 Premier League season than Eberechi Eze. He now looks like a strong contender for the squad.”
Carragher disagrees on Branthwaite: He is England’s present and future
Analysis: Eze breakthrough leaves no space for Grealish and Maddison
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
“The performance of Ebere Eze against Bosnia showed how he offers something different to some of the other options Southgate has at his disposal.
“He’s very direct and commits defenders while running at pace. Perhaps Maddison and Grealish are a little too similar in the way they cut in off the left.
“They don’t go at the same pace and with the same directness that Eze does while I think the fact Jarrod Bowen played the entirety of that match is significant.”
Analysis: Maddison’s England exit no surprise
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
“With three goals and five assists in his first nine Premier League games for Tottenham, Maddison was on course for Player of the Season, let alone a spot in the England Euros squad.
“He was a shoo-in nine months ago, but now he is the first to be omitted from this extended England group.
“This is no surprise. His form has dropped off since that scintillating start for Spurs this season. The only Premier League goal contributions he made since March 10 came against Burnley and Sheffield United, while he was not given a starting role in a makeshift England line-up against Bosnia.”