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.
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, though the young Liverpool defender has remained on standby.
Meanwhile, Luke Shaw has made the final 26-player squad with England manager Gareth Southgate confirming that the left-back could be fit for the Three Lions’ second group game with Denmark on June 20.
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).
Southgate explains his calls
England manager Gareth Southgate, speaking at a news conference after the announcement:
“All of the players [not included] took the news really respectfully. All players of course will feel they should have been in and that’s why they’re top players because they have that self-belief and they have that mindset.
“The fact is we’ve got some players who have been playing extremely well all season in the league and we just feel other players have had stronger seasons – particularly in the past six months or so.
“We saw some fantastic performances the other night which underlined some of that and in the attacking area of the pitch we’re blessed with a lot of options and they’re all slightly different.
“Madders [Maddison] and Jack [Grealish] would have provided us with something different as well and they’ve been tough calls.
“They’re calls we’ve gone over and over and over as a group of staff to try to be fair and to try to use the right rationale.
“We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route. The boys are big characters, fabulous team-mates and great boys to work with. It’s sad to have to deliver that news to them.
“Trent can play both [in midfield and defence], we had nine defenders in the last couple of tournaments so I think we’re the same now.
“That was part of the reason we couldn’t take Harry Maguire. We would’ve had to take a 10th defender, and that balance wouldn’t have been right, it would’ve left us short in other areas.
“Harry has made some progress, but it’s been complicated and we wouldn’t have had him in the group stages. There were too many hurdles to get through without being clear where we might get to.
“Knowing we haven’t got a clean bill of health across the rest of the backline, we need players who are fit and ready to go from the start.
“It was a really difficult call, you know how I feel about Harry, what he’s done for England and for me as a manager. It’s a slightly different case to [Grealish and Maddison], but it’s no easier.”
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
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Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett provides an update on Gareth Southgate’s final Euros squad.
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.
“The performance of Eberechi 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.”
Carragher disagrees on Branthwaite: He is England’s present and future
The key dates for England
All times BST
Friday June 7 – International friendly, England vs Iceland at Wembley, kick-off 7.45pm
Friday June 7 – Final 26-player squad submitted to UEFA
Saturday June 8 – Final 26-player squad announced
Monday June 10 – England squad fly to Germany
Saturday June 16 – Serbia vs England, Gelsenkirchen, kick-off 8pm
Thursday June 20 – Denmark vs England, Frankfurt, kick-off 5pm
Tuesday June 25 – England vs Slovenia, kick-off 8pm