England’s 33-man pre-Euro training squad was out last month. It came as a shocker to the fans to see a few names missing. The absence of Rashford, Sancho, Solanke, and others on the list led the fans to question Gareth Southgate’s decision. However, seeing Kobbie Mainoo’s name on the list was promising. The Manchester United youngster was brilliant this season. Mainoo’s performance caught Southgate’s eye, leading him to be a part of the England squad. However, this squad will not be available for the Euros. England’s final crew will be reduced to 26 players and there is speculation among the fans that either Phil Foden or Kobbie Mainoo will be left out.
Southgate’s picks for England’s pre-Euro training squad
England’s squad consists of four goalkeepers, all from Premier League clubs. Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson, Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal, and James Trafford from Burnley are training in Germany. Southgate’s defender picks include Jarrad Branthwaite, Joe Gomez, Lewin Dunk, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, John Stones, Luke Shaw, Kieran Tripper, and Kyle Walker.
Along with Mainoo in the midfield, even Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Adam Wharton and Declan Rice made it to the squad. Lastly, England’s most essential bunch of players that provide the attacking front include Jarrod Bowen, Foden, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, and Jude Bellingham. Altogether, Southgate has assembled a tough side, however, only time will answer the big question of whether this team can make it all the way.
Phil Foden or Kobbie Mainoo?
Taking into consideration that a few players will be knocked out from the England squad for the Euros, there is a conjecture that Gareth Southgate will have to decide between Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo. Although Foden was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season, Mainoo has been no less. While Foden provides an attacking threat, the Man United star plays attackingly as well as defensively. Moreover, the 19-year-old stood out in Man United’s FA Cup win. Mainoo scored the winning goal and further won the man-of-the-match. The teenager proved his worth of getting an international spot. Moreover, playing with that kind of maturity at such a young age shows that Mainoo could be an essential player for Southgate. However, the final decision of who will miss out on the plane to Germany will be seen on 8th June.
What did Gareth Southgate say about deciding England’s final squad?
The manager has a few days left before he confirms which players will be cut from the squad. England are currently sweating on the fitness of Harry Maguire. Moreover, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka will be out for their friendly with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Luke Shaw won’t be available for the game either due to his thigh injury. Additionally, Harry Kane returned to training after recovering from a back problem, however, he won’t be starting against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additionally, Jack Grealish played for only ten minutes in Manchester City’s last five games and was absent for the FA Cup final against United.
When Southgate was asked whether Jack Grealish will remain in the 26-man squad or not, he replied,
“I don’t think we’re defining that just yet. It’s hard to be quite so specific because we keep sitting down and saying: ‘Okay, if it’s this or this.”
The England manager further added,
“We have a lot of good players in that area and they are all competing. We think we know who the best have been across the season, what we don’t know is how many we need to take or can allow ourselves to take because of the cover we might need in other positions.”
The manager has time till the 7th of June to decide who he wants in the squad and who should be out. Southgate had tough decisions to make, however, he will keep in mind what’s best for the team.
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