England manager Gareth Southgate is planning to announce a preliminary squad of up to 30 players for the upcoming Euro 2024 this summer. He is expected to unveil the provisional list on Tuesday afternoon (UK time) ahead of friendly matches against Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Iceland. Following this, the squad will be reduced to 26 players for the tournament in Germany.
Amid stiff competition in the attacking department, forward Raheem Sterling is unlikely to earn a call-up. After a relatively subdued season, the Chelsea striker himself may not anticipate selection and could face the possibility of missing out on his first international tournament in 10 years since being named in Roy Hodgson's squad for the 2014 World Cup as a young talent.
[caption id="attachment_5326" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sterling is unlikely to be called up to the England national team. Image: Getty[/caption]
Despite scoring in Chelsea's final game of the season against Bournemouth, Sterling still appears to be overshadowed by players like Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, and Jarrod Bowen in the national team selection.
Despite missing Newcastle's final game of the season and their post-season tour to Melbourne, there are no significant concerns about Gordon's inclusion. Similarly, Bowen was absent from West Ham's trip to Etihad due to health reasons. Marcus Rashford may still feature in the preliminary squad despite his declining form. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish, Eberechi Eze, and James Maddison are competing for one or two remaining spots as Southgate looks to strengthen the defense for the national team.
[caption id="attachment_5325" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rashford may still be called up to the England national team. Image: Getty[/caption]
In defense, left-back stalwart Luke Shaw has not played since February and has recently encountered setbacks in his recovery process. Meanwhile, backup defender Ben Chilwell has only played a mere 10 minutes in the Premier League since early March. Both are likely to be given the opportunity to prove their fitness, but it seems that Southgate is leaning towards selecting Kieran Trippier as the primary choice at the left-back position.
[caption id="attachment_5323" align="alignnone" width="600"] Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell are not in their best physical condition. Image: Getty[/caption]
The preliminary squad of players who will join the England national team in preparing for the upcoming Euro will be announced by manager Gareth Southgate later this week. Specifically, the official announcement is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Tuesday, May 21st (UK time).
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