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Gareth Southgate has named an expanded 33-man England squad for Euro 2020 including Liverpool duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson but Nick Pope, Eric Dier and James Maddison all miss out.
Southgate will cut seven players next week after assessing various injury situations while also waiting to see if there are any further complications arising from three English teams contesting the Europa League and Champions League finals in the coming days.
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Alexander-Arnold had feared he would miss out after being dropped for England’s previous fixtures in March but he is still a doubt to play at the finals despite a positive end to the season at Anfield.
Southgate picks 33-man provisional squad for Euro 2020. Alexander-Arnold and Henderson included, no Nick Pope or Maddison. Four uncapped players: Johnstone, Ramsdale, Godfrey, White. pic.twitter.com/btSDIwR5QE
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) May 25, 2021
Henderson has not played a competitive fixture since Feb. 20 following groin surgery and is one of several fitness concerns in the squad with Harry Maguire another high-profile concern, having sustained an ankle injury which makes him a doubt for Wednesday’s Europa League final between Manchester United and Villarreal.
Southgate has opted to include four uncapped players including two goalkeepers — West Bromwich Albion‘s Sam Johnstone and Sheffield United‘s Aaron Ramsdale — and two defenders, Everton‘s Ben Godfrey and Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Ben White. Those decisions were in part influenced by losing Pope, who was vying with Jordan Pickford to start in goal this summer before being forced to undergo a minor knee operation this week.
Dier had suffered a loss of form at Tottenham Hotspur but his absence at the expense of Godfrey and White is a surprise given the influential role he has played during Southgate’s tenure, most memorably scoring the decisive penalty which saw England beat Columbia in a shoot-out at the round-of-16 stage of the 2018 World Cup.
Maddison had hopes of making the squad after recently returning from a hip injury but Southgate always harboured doubts over the midfielder’s off-field behaviour and he has been surpassed by Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka.
There was also no place for Leeds United‘s Patrick Bamford, Southampton‘s Danny Ings, Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe and Everton’s Michael Keane despite all enjoying fine individual campaigns.
Southgate will be hopeful there are no further setbacks with Chelsea and Manchester City set to meet in Saturday’s Champions League final. Sources have told ESPN that the 50-year-old and coach Steve Holland informed players in the past 24 hours they all have a chance to stake their claim in the final squad, although whether Alexander-Arnold can force his way above Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James in the pecking order remains to be seen.
Southgate aims to give each player a week’s break from whenever their club season ends before joining up with the squad to begin preparations at St George’s Park.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Chilwell, Conor Coady, Ben Godfrey, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Ben White
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse
Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Mason Greenwood, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Ollie Watkins