England manager Gareth Southgate has until Friday to decide which players will make his 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
Southgate picked a 33-man preliminary squad ahead of England’s first warm-up game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday.
The Three Lions face Iceland in their second pre-Euros friendly on Friday and Southgate will announce his final squad soon after.
TBR Football assesses which seven players should not have a seat on England’s plane to Germany.
Ivan Toney (Forward)
Harry Kane will play every single minute of the Euros that matters, so there is only a need for one alternative in Southgate’s squad.
A year ago, Toney would have been the favourite to win that second striker spot, but a poor 2023-24 season has not helped his cause.
The Brentford forward scored only four times in the Premier League, while Ollie Watkins provided 19 goals and 13 assists for Unai Emery’s high-flying Aston Villa side.
Jack Grealish (Midfielder)
Jack Grealish is another player who would have made Southgate’s squad had the tournament taken place last summer.
However, Grealish only started 10 Premier League games for Manchester City this season and did not perform particularly well in those.
There is no argument to be made that the 28-year-old is more deserving of a place than his main competition, Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen.
James Maddison (Midfielder)
James Maddison was one of England’s best-performing players in the first half of the 2023-24 campaign.
At that time, the attacking midfielder looked more likely to be starting at this summer’s Euros than to be watching from home – which as England’s X account has confirmed, he will be doing.
Maddison’s form really tailed off towards the end of the season, whereas Eberechi Eze has peaked at the right time.
Curtis Jones (Midfielder)
Curtis Jones enjoyed a decent season, though he was fortunate to be named in England’s preliminary squad ahead of his Liverpool teammate, Harvey Elliott.
The Three Lions are not stacked with quality midfielders but the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton have impressed far more.
Jones’ inclusion was probably more for Southgate to judge his character than to seriously consider taking him to Germany. Now, we know he isn’t going, confirmed by England along with the Maddison emission.
Jarell Quansah (Defender)
A second Liverpool player who will be dropped from England’s preliminary squad, and rightly so, is Jarell Quansah, who was probably brought into the fold for the same reason as Jones.
The likes of Fikayo Tomori and Levi Colwill, who were previously left out, should also be ahead of Quansah in the pecking order.
Training with England’s best will have been a good experience for the 21-year-old, and he certainly has the potential to have an England career further down the line.
Lewis Dunk (Defender)
Lewis Dunk’s vast experience could be valuable to England’s young squad this summer, but that is not a valid reason to pick him ahead of more in-form players.
And, not only did Jarrad Branthwaite, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi each have better campaigns than Dunk, but they are also much quicker – allowing England to play a higher line.
The Brighton defender, who deserved to play more for England in years gone by, should no longer be a part of Southgate’s plans.
James Trafford (Goalkeeper)
Perhaps the easiest decision that Southgate has to make, James Trafford should not be included in England’s 26-man squad.
While the former Man City man could become a great goalkeeper one day, he is far from that level currently.
Indeed, Burnley’s Premier League form improved when Trafford was dropped by manager Vincent Kompany, so he is very lucky to have been considered at all.
Who should make Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad?
This is how the final squad would look if TBR Football’s predictions came true. Who will Southgate ultimately drop?
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal).
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), 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), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).