- Southgate springs surprises with England squad
- Grealish gets the nod as Rashford is left out
- Supporters unhappy with manager’s decision
WHAT HAPPENED?
England manager Southgate has named his provisional squad for Euro 2024 and has raised eyebrows with some of his selections. There is no room for Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Reece James or Marcus Rashford, but the Three Lions boss has included Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Liverpool duo Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah as well as Grealish. The Manchester City man has endured an underwhelming campaign in 2023-24 which has led fans to hit out at his inclusion in the squad.WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID
Southgate has spoken about his decision to leave Rashford out of his squad. He told reporters: “With Marcus, I just feel other players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons, it’s as simple as that.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Grealish played a key role in City’s treble-winning season last year but has made less of an impact in the current campaign. The midfielder has managed just 20 appearances in the league, scoring three goals and producing just one assist. Rashford has featured regularly in what’s been a difficult campaign for the Red Devils but has struggled for form, scoring just seven times from 33 Premier League appearances.
WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND
England will play two friendlies ahead of Euro 2024, against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland, before Southgate names his final 26-man squad by June 7. The Three Lions open up their Euro 2024 campaign on June 16 against Serbia.
