Confirmed: Gareth Southgate"s provisional England squad Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford. Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker. Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton. Forwards: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins. That’s me done. Here’s Jacob’s report. Thanks for reading! Interesting that England have classified Jude Bellingham as a forward in their official tweet. The same applies to James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze. Of course, they are all versatile players and capable of playing across the front line but I would define them as attacking midfielders. Semantics, though. More illuminating is that Trent Alexander Arnold is in with the midfielders. That, and Southgate’s other options at right back – Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Ezri Konsa (and even Joe Gomez and John Stones) show that the England manager is not considering TAA for his defence. Left back remains the biggest challenge for Southgate. The England manager said in March that Luke Shaw was “one of the best left-backs in world football, frankly”, so if the Manchester United defender can regain fitness, he will be first choice. Kieran Trippier has played on the left for England and will most likely be the back up. The 33-year-old will be dependable through the group stages, against the weaker opposition of Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia. If England qualify, I’m not sure I would want the Newcastle defender facing Europe’s elite right wingers. But we’re a long way away from all that. Joe Gomez can play there as well but I wouldn’t expect him to make the 26-man squad. Perhaps he will if Shaw is not deemed fit enough. Marcus Rashford has posted a message of support for England and Southgate on his Instagram stories after missing out on selection. Here is our report on Southgate’s selections. Reflecting on the volume of players who have been included but whose fitness remains in doubt, Southgate said: “I’d have loved it to be cleaner and more definitive but that’s not the position we’re in.” He said some injury issues were obvious but others were “more nuanced” and that the weeks ahead would determine whether certain players could go to Germany. This was, he said, “as complicated a group as I can remember picking”. Mad that Michael Olise has not been called up by either France or England. Born in London, the 22-year-old has represented France at youth level but never made a senior appearance so eligible for both countries, as well as Algeria and Nigeria. Olise is arguably the most in-form winger in the Premier League. Randal Kolo Muani (one goal for PSG since January) picked ahead of Olise for the France squad. I would be shocked if England and Southgate didn’t at least have a conversation with the Palace winger. I would certainly prefer to have him in the England squad over Jack Grealish or Jarrod Bowen. I imagine that Eric Dier is fuming. He will surely feel aggrieved on missing out to Lewis Dunk and Jarell Quansah after so nearly helping Bayern to a Champions League final. Here’s what Southgate had to say about leaving out Dier: “He’s played very well for Bayern and I know they are very happy with him. He’s just behind the guys we’ve selected. We watch every game and he has played well in the Champions League as well. We’ve assessed all of that.” Southgate speaks on where he plans to play Phil Foden: “The key with Phil is where he ends up, not his starting position. He’s been allowed to drift for Manchester City. It’s where these players arrive and where they are allowed to drift to. We never pin these forwards to the touchline. There is this freedom. You want Phil in those central areas, as you want with two or three others”. Remember that Saka has the right wing on lock, Kane is the lone striker and Bellingham will play as a 10. So really the only starting place is on the left wing. Southgate on leaving out Jordan Henderson: “The determining factor was the injury he picked up in the last camp. He missed five weeks and wasn’t able to get back up to the level of intensity. It was a difficult decision. He will be a miss. He’s an exceptional individual and fantastic human being. He’s been in that leadership role for a long time”. Southgate: “There’s definitely much more attacking options than compared to other squads [in the past]. There’s a lot of tournament experience now, even with our younger players. We’re really happy with where the squad is at. But everything starts from zero. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past.” Also worth flagging that Harvey Elliott has not made the squad. Curtis Jones, who has started just one game in the last month, has got the nod over his Liverpool teammate. Southgate: "I haven’t had the time to phone anyone that we’re bringing in. My priority has been the ones that haven’t made it. The nice calls are the easy ones to make and I’ll catch up over this week”. Southgate on omitting Marcus Rashford: “I just feel other players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons. That’s it”. Southgate did not speak to Ben White about trying to convince him for selection. “As far as I know, he is not available to us”. Southgate on Shaw: “He is up against it, he’s missed a lot of football. Because he’s been our first choice left-back we are giving him more time. I’ve talked with him and the medical staff and I have liaised with Manchester United very closely. I have to say he is a long shot” I’m also surprised to see Ivan Toney ahead of Dominic Solanke, but again the Brentford man is third-choice behind Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins. And remember, Toney is a penalty specialist so could be brought on last minute for a shootout. Four goalkeepers and no Nick Pope is wild. I know the Newcastle keeper has been injured, and he would only be third choice behind Pickford and Ramsdale so almost certainly doesn’t matter either way, but still a surprise. Southgate names a 33-man (!) squad, which will be trimmed down to 26 by 7 June, before the tournament. The England manager will want to see some of the younger uncapped players in training and give an opportunity for the injured players to find their fitness before cutting the final seven players. The headlines from Southgate"s confirmed squad Some of the notable contenders that didn’t make the squad are: Jordan Henderson Marcus Rashford Levi Colwill Dominic Solanke Raheem Sterling Ben Chilwell Kalvin Phillips Nick Pope Jadon Sancho Reece James Rico Lewis Eric Dier Tyrick Mitchell Fikayo Tomori Ruben Loftus-Cheek Harvey Elliott Confirmed: Gareth Southgate"s provisional England squad Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford. Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker. Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton. Forwards: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins. Jacob is reporting that Chelsea’s Levi Colwill hasn’t made the cut. Pretty insane that the England internationals at Tottenham and Newcastle will find out whether they are in the squad from Melbourne, Australia. The two sides are playing an absolutely ridiculous post-season friendly there on Wednesday. A reminder that James Maddison is in the long list. The rumours are that Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, who can play both right back and centre back, is on Southgate’s England long-list. I wonder how Ben White is feeling today. Portugal announce their squad What an absurdly talented attack. The 2016 winners are fourth favourites for the tournament behind England, France and Germany (in that order). Who could have foreseen last year that Marcus Rashford – who scored 34 goals in all competitions last season – would not make the Euros squad at the age of 26? The Manchester United forward has the talent and a very high ceiling but simply does not deserve to be in the England squad ahead of Anthony Gordon, who has been brilliant all season for Newcastle. Meanwhile, there has been very little mention of Jack Grealish, who has been in and out of the Manchester City side. Hello everyone. Obviously this news will be mainly followed by England fans, but Group C opponents Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia will also be watching closely, as will the other tournament favourites, particularly if there are a few surprise inclusions. This article is a couple of months old, written just after the March friendlies, but a still a good marker for where teams are heading into Euro 2024. Michael Butler will be guiding you through the rest of the England squad announcement. Thanks for joining me! While we wait for some more news on England’s provisional squad for Euro 2024, catch up with some of our latest football stories. Morecambe directors have warned the League Two club faces a “catastrophic outcome” unless the current owners agree to sell up, reports Andy Hunter. Mary Earps speaks exclusively with Suzanne Wrack and the Manchester United goalkeeper shares her feelings on the hard season and what she wants from the club before penning a new deal. The Sweden and Bayern Munich defender Magdalena Eriksson writes on Bayern’s undefeated season in the Frauen-Bundesliga. And have a go at our end of the Premier League season quiz. Gareth Southgate is expected to name about 30 players for this provisional squad. He will then trim it for the Euro 2024 finals after England’s warm-up friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina at St James’ Park on 3 June and against Iceland at Wembley on 7 June. For the tournament, England have been drawn in Group C. Their opening match will be against Serbia on 16 June before they take on Denmark on 20 June and Slovenia on 25 June. Southgate’s side head to the tournament as the last edition’s runners-up after losing to Italy in the final after added extra-time and penalties. The reasoning behind Marcus Rashford’s omission is his lack of form for Manchester United. Players such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka had stronger showings throughout the season and are more preferred in the wide attacking positions. Rashford made his England senior debut in 2016 when he was called up for the Euro 2016 squad, just four months after making his Manchester United debut. He made his tournament debut at the age of 18 years and 229 days, breaking Wayne Rooney’s record as being England’s youngest ever player at a European Championships. More recently, he scored twice for England at the last World Cup in Qatar, with both goals being in the group stages. He also scored twice in England’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, against North Macedonia and Italy. Marcus Rashford out of provisional England squad The Manchester United forward will not be called up to Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024. He scored eight goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for club this season. On the exclusion of Jordan Henderson: the Ajax midfielder has 81 appearances for England and has been a mainstay for Gareth Southgate in tournaments of the past. He was often named captain and lead out the side in the absence of Harry Kane. Ivan Toney is expected to be called up despite having not scored for Brentford since 17 February. The striker has had a tumultuous season after being banned for eight months due to 232 breaches of the FA’s rules on betting. He returned to action on 20 January and scored directly from a free-kick in a 3-2 defeat of Nottingham Forest. He scored three times in his next four games but then struggled to find the back of the net. He has made two appearances for England, scoring once in a friendly against Belgium. Away from England for a moment: The Germany and Real Madrid player Toni Kroos will retire after Euro 2024. In a statement on Instagram, Kroos said: My career as an active footballer will end this summer after the Euro championship. As I have always said: Real Madrid is and will be my last club. Germany will host this summer’s tournament and are in Group A alongside Hungary, Scotland and Switzerland. Another youngster, Adam Wharton, 20, will receive his first call-up to the senior squad after only one appearance with the under-21s. His rise has been fast but he has taken it in his stride. Having been signed by Crystal Palace in the winter transfer window from Blackburn Rovers, the languid midfielder has started every match since his first, and has been key to his side’s resurgence under Oliver Glasner. Gareth Southgate has seemingly prioritised youngsters who have been in form during this past club season. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, who is uncapped, will receive his second-ever call-up to the England squad. Despite Everton’s struggles this season, their defence was solid, with the side conceding 51 goals in the Premier League. Only the top three – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – conceded fewer goals and Branthwaite was a big part of shoring up the defence and ensuring that Sean Dyche’s side did not go into the final weeks of the campaign hampered by the weight of a possible relegation. The Carlisle academy graduate is in the Premier League’s top 10 for interceptions and no one his age or younger has made more than his 50. Raheem Sterling misses out on his seventh England squad in a row. Since his move from Manchester City to Chelsea, the winger has been inconsistent and sometimes struggled for form. Several players have moved ahead of him in the pecking order. His last appearance for country was the 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in Qatar. The uncapped duo of Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones have impressed for Liverpool this season. Quansah, 21, has four appearances for England’s under-21 squad and made 33 appearances under Jürgen Klopp on Merseyside this season. Jones, 23, has made 20 appearances for England’s under-21 squad winning the European Under-21 Championship in 2023. He made 36 appearances for club this season, scoring five goals. Palace’s attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze will make the squad after a strong end to the season. The West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen is in with James Maddison. Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon is likely to be included but there is doubt over Marcus Rashford’s place and Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling has not been included. Southgate also has a defensive headache on his hands. Luke Shaw, his first-choice left-back, has not played for Manchester United since February but he will be given time to prove his fitness. Southgate has previously taken players in the latter stages of injury rehabilitation to the previous two tournaments when 26-man squads have been permitted: Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson to Euro 2020; Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips to the 2022 World Cup. All contributed after missing the opening two matches. Ben Chilwell, who hoped to deputise for Shaw, has not been included. The Chelsea left-back has struggled for fitness. His versatile Chelsea team-mate Levi Colwill will be in the provisional squad. Southgate also has concerns in central defence, where Maguire is an injury doubt. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi is in the squad as is Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. Henderson and Chilwell out, Wharton and Jones in Gareth Southgate is set to make a string of huge decisions when he names England’s training squad, with Adam Wharton and Curtis Jones surprisingly selected over Jordan Henderson in midfield and Ben Chilwell left out despite major doubts over Luke Shaw’s fitness at left-back. There is set to be a youthful, fresh look to the squad when it is announced. Henderson, who has not missed a major tournament since Euro 2012, has paid the price for a poor season. The former Liverpool captain struggled after moving to the Saudi Pro League and he has been unable to recover his form since joining Ajax in January. Southgate has left out many of his old faithfuls in midfield, with Kalvin Phillips also omitted. Jones, the Liverpool midfielder, and Wharton, who has shone for Crystal Palace since joining them from Blackburn in the winter window, are the beneficiaries. Both players are uncapped. Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah, another uncapped player, will also be included. Preamble Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the announcement for the provisional England squad for the upcoming European Championships. Gareth Southgate is expected to name at least 30 players and will then trim that number down to 26 ahead of the tournament in Germany. The manager is expected to make some big changes, including the possible omissions of Jordan Henderson and Ben Chilwell. Southgate’s selections will be announced at 2pm BST.