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Gareth Southgate has announced the England squad for Euro 2020, having originally named a 33-man provisional squad last week. The Three Lions boss had a few tough decisions to make, given that he could only include 26 players in his final squad for the tournament.
The Englishman was sweating over the fitness of the likes of Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips, all of whom had been included in England's provisional squad. However, all three made the cut, while Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood withdrew from the Euro 2020 squad to deal with an ongoing injury problem. That still meant Southgate had to omit six players from the squad.
UEFA made a change to the squad limit for Euro 2020 keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the squad limit from 23 to 26. One of the toughest decisions that the Englishman had to make was while choosing cover for the right back role.
There had been multiple reports that Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold would be axed from the England squad, with Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier making the cut. However, Southgate opted to include all four in his squad.
Despite Maguire's injury worries, the Manchester United skipper remains an important figure for the national team. As such, Southgate had to leave Ben White and Ben Godfrey out of the final squad. There was also no place for James Ward-Prowse, Jesse Lingard and Ollie Watkins in England’s squad for Euro 2020. Aaron Ramsdale also misses out as there’s only place for three goalkeepers in the 26-man squad.
Harry Maguire biggest injury concern in the England squad for Euro 2020
Maguire is the biggest injury concern in the England squad for Euro 2020. The Manchester United skipper missed the last few games of the season with an ankle ligament injury and failed to get himself fit in time for the UEFA Europa League finals. Maguire now faces a race against time to prove his fitness before the start of the tournament.
However, both Henderson and Phillips are edging closer to full fitness and took part in training sessions at Rockliffe Hall as Southgate continued his preparations for Euro 2020. The England manager is expected to have a few players on a standby list to accommodate any emergencies caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the best reactions to England’s 26-man Euro 2020 squad.
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