England manager Gareth Southgate will name his provisional squad for Euro 2024 next week, with some tough decisions still to be made.
Southgate will be able to name up to 26 players for the tournament after Uefa confirmed the increase from 23 earlier this month.
Having advocated for expanded squads, Southgate has since admitted he is yet to decide whether 26 players is the “right amount”, telling BBC Sport: “There’s no point in taking more players than we need.”
Southgate will likely make that call after first naming his “training squad” on Tuesday 21 May.
The larger squad will allow Southgate to analyse his options up close at St George’s Park before heading to Germany, while Uefa’s deadline for the final 23 to 26-man list falls on the same day as the second of England’s two warm-up friendlies – Friday 7 June.
England take on Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James’ Park on Monday 3 June before playing Iceland at Wembley four days later.
Here i looks at those already on the plane, the names all but there and the spaces still up for grabs with three players making a late push for the squad…
Little explanation is required for the majority of the 18 players listed below. They are all odds-on with bookmakers to make the squad, with only injury set to hamper their chances.
Aaron Ramsdale may have fallen behind David Raya in the pecking order at Arsenal, but England’s lack of depth in this area means he will almost certainly travel to Germany as Jordan Pickford’s back-up.
Ollie Watkins leads the Premier League for goal contributions this season – 19 goals, 12 assists – and is likely to get the nod as Ivan Toney battles for one of the remaining places.
Kobbie Mainoo made his England debut in March and should retain his place in the squad, likewise Jordan Henderson given Southgate’s fondness for the midfielder’s experience and leadership skills.
Cole Palmer’s form has become impossible for Southgate to ignore, likewise his coolness from the penalty spot, and though Trent Alexander-Arnold missed the March friendlies due to injury, the 25-year-old’s versality makes him a near certainty.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, ???
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Trent-Alexander Arnold, ???, ???, ???
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, James Maddison
Forwards: Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, ???, ???, ???, ???
1. Third-choice goalkeeper – There is no chance Southgate is taking just two goalkeepers, but who travels as the third choice remains unclear. Nick Pope is back among the substitutes for Newcastle after five months out, and is therefore vying with Cyrstal Palace’s Dean Henderson for this place. Both could make the training squad, leaving Southgate to make the final decision by 7 June.
2 & 3. Two more centre-backs – There will need to be back-up for Maguire and Stones, with Southgate likely to name at least another two centre-backs. Jarrad Branthwaite is heavy odds-on with the bookies, and so that could leave Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Levi Colwill, Ezri Konsa and Joe Gomez fighting for just one spot.
4. Left-back / versatile defender – Southgate will be sweating on the fitness of both Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw. It may be a case that only one of them travels to Germany, but with Chilwell and Shaw currently absent for Chelsea and Manchester United respectively, there is a chance that at least one of Konsa or Gomez gets picked given their versatility.
It would also mean Trippier starting at left-back, with the Newcastle defender having done so several times under Southgate, including at the 2022 World Cup.
5, 6, 7 & 8. Four more forwards? – This is where it gets tricky for Southgate, with at least one squad prospect set to suffer the disappointment of missing out. There are arguably six names fighting for these four positions, including Toney.
Many England supporters all thought the same thing when Toney tucked away a penalty with ease against Belgium in March – that he’d be useful come a potential Euro 2024 shootout – but at club level he has struggled to kick on since making an impressive return from his ban.
Toney scored four goals in his first five league games back, but has not scored since, leaving him without a goal for Brentford since 17 February.
Nevertheless, given his penalty prowess Southgate could still pick Toney as his third No 9, leaving three more places for five wide players: Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford.
Southgate’s tendency to prefer experience could make it advantage Grealish and Rashford, but form would say Gordon, Bowen and Eze are all worthy of a place.
Both Gordon and Bowen impressed in the Match friendlies for England, and so at a push it could be that duo joining Grealish on the plane.
That would be tough on Eze, who made his England debut last year and is in a rich vein of form under Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace, and is also a central option. It would be less harsh on Rashford, however, who has missed the last four games for Manchester United through injury and scored just twice in his last 10 league games.
Eze’s Palace teammate Adam Wharton is turning heads, and the 20-year-old could make a late play for the squad, at what would presumably be Mainoo’s or Gallagher’s expense.
It may be a case of too little, too late, although Wharton’s stock is certainly on the rise amid reports Bayern Munich are monitoring the player – and he could yet make the England “training squad” so Southgate can have a closer look.
Jadon Sancho is also enjoying a strong finish to the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund from Manchester United.
Freed from his exile, he was named player of the match in Dortmund’s Champions League semi-final first leg win over Paris Saint-Germain, and will be heading to Wembley to contest the final against Real Madrid on 1 June.
Sancho therefore also has a chance of making the provisional England squad, albeit with the caveat that he remains with Dortmund until after the final.
Reece James also showed how much Chelsea have missed him with an impressive cameo on the weekend. It may be too late for an England call-up, but once again he could make the extended squad given his ability when fully fit. Southgate may therefore want to make that call himself after watching the full-back train at St George’s Park.
Meanwhile, the prospects of Ben White featuring look highly unlikely after the Arsenal defender turned down his call-up in March. It would take an expected U-turn for him to make the cut.
Southgate named five midfielders and nine forwards in his initial 25-man squad for the March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, and though that looks unbalanced, the return of Alexander-Arnold gives him another midfield option.
Both Shaw and Chilwell could make the provisional squad as Southgate awaits further updates on their fitness. If fully fit, there is even the prospect of both going to Germany, but at a push just one is making the cut.
There is also no place for Rashford, even if it would not be a surprise for Southgate to pick him ahead of Bowen.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Luke Shaw, Kieran Trippier, Trent-Alexander Arnold, Jarard Branthwaite, Marc Guehi
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, James Maddison
Forwards: Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, Anthony Gordon, Jack Grealish, Ivan Toney, Jarrod Bowen
