LONDON – Marcus Rashford has been excluded from England manager Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, following a lackluster season with Manchester United.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Chelsea captain Reece James are other notable absentees from the squad, which must be reduced to 26 players before the tournament in Germany begins.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has been rewarded for his club’s strong finish to the Premier League season with his first-ever call-up. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones are the other uncapped players selected, as Southgate addresses a shortage of defensive options.
England will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 3 and Iceland on June 7 before heading to Germany, where they are considered one of the tournament favorites.
The omission of Rashford, who has scored just eight goals in 42 appearances this season and has recently returned from injury, highlights Southgate’s wealth of attacking options. This marks the first major international tournament Rashford will miss since the 2014 World Cup.
Henderson’s recent move to Ajax in January after a stint in Saudi Arabia did not secure him a spot. Similarly, Jadon Sancho’s resurgence with Borussia Dortmund, where he is on loan from Manchester United, was not enough for inclusion.
Raheem Sterling and Kalvin Phillips were also overlooked despite their previous contributions to England’s success in major tournaments.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Manchester City’s Phil Foden, and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka are part of a strong attacking lineup supporting England’s all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane.
England will start their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on June 16, followed by matches against Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.
Provisional Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Kyle Walker, John Stones (both Manchester City), Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire (both Manchester United), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez (both Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones (both Liverpool)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/GER), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), James Maddison (Tottenham), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/ESP), Phil Foden, Jack Grealish (both Manchester City), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
