For England’s hopefuls, all roads lead to Gelsenkirchen on June 16, where Gareth Southgate’s team will play in the opening match of the 2024 European Championship.
The big question between now and then is: Who will go to Germany?
Southgate is able to select a 23-man squad, meaning many deserving candidates will be missed.
When will the England squad participate in Euro 2024?
That’s a lot of TBC.
The deadline for submitting final squads for Euro 2024 is 7 June, as teams must submit their list of 23 players at least seven days before the tournament’s opening match.
How big will the roster be?
After the number of squads was increased to 26 in the Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cups due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of squads will be reduced to 23 in Euro 2024.
What is the latest situation in England?
England have two games in the international window ahead of Euro 2024 against Brazil (Saturday 23 March) and Belgium (Tuesday 26 March).
Jarrad Branthwaite and Anthony Gordon have received first England call-ups but Kalvin Phillips has no place in Southgate’s final squad before he makes his Euro 2024 selection.
Joe Gomez, who won the last of his 11 senior caps in October 2020, returned from the international wilderness for the Wembley friendlies in March.
Ivan Toney returned at the first opportunity after serving the Football Association’s eight-month betting ban, but Raheem Sterling is once again conspicuous by his absence.
England squad will face Brazil and Belgium
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Forward: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
What are the key issues facing Southgate?
The extensive list of those not included in England’s final squad highlights the injury crisis Southgate currently faces.
Having struggled to choose at full-back, the team now looks vulnerable in that position and Southgate hopes this situation will be resolved by the summer.
The England boss will be looking for Gomez to impress, especially in the upcoming friendlies, due to his versatility.
Southgate’s defensive dilemmas have not been helped by Arsenal’s in-form defender Ben White demanding he not be selected by England at the moment.
The 26-year-old has played in the Premier League this season but has not played for the national team since the 2022 World Cup.
White returned early from Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” and reports later emerged of him allegedly fighting with England assistant Steve Holland.
Southgate denied any such incident on Thursday as he hoped to include the defender in his squad for the games against Brazil and Belgium.
The manager revealed that White would otherwise be included in his 25-man squad for the friendly matches, explaining: “Obviously, when he’s fit, I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be there.”
“We, John McDermott and I, got a call from Edu (Arsenal sporting director) last week (and he) said Ben doesn’t want to be included in the England squad at the moment.
“For me, this is a big shame. He is a player we took for the Euros, a player we took for the World Cup, and I talked to him after Qatar because I wanted to choose him.
“He’s not available to us and there’s no problem between us and I have to say there’s never been an issue with (coach) Steve Holland because it’s been brought up in the articles and I don’t like it.
“I want that door to be wide open. He would be in this squad but he is not available to us and I need to focus on who can help us.”
When are England’s upcoming friendly matches?
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March 23: Brazil vs Wembley, 19:00 (GMT)
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March 26: vs Belgium, Wembley, 19.45 (GMT)
How can I watch England’s friendly matches on TV?
Both fixtures will be broadcast live on Channel 4 and can also be watched on the Channel 4 app.
Who is in England’s Euro 2024 group?
England are in group C and will face Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia.
When are England’s Euro 2024 group matches?
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June 16: vs Serbia, Gelsenkirchen, 20:00 (BST)
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20 June: vs Denmark, Frankfurt, 17:00 (BST)
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June 25: vs Slovenia, Cologne, 20:00 (BST)
What are England’s chances of winning Euro 2024?
Take a look at these Euro 2024 betting offers and free bets
