Who will be a part of England’s Euro 2021 squad and who will have fallen out of favour?
The 2020 Euros were set to get under way on June 12th, with England amongst the favourites to go all the way and win the competition. However, with the Euros being postponed by a year due to Covid-19, all of the nations involved have to wait a year to claim glory. What is really intriguing is how the squads may change from this year to next year and which nations will be better or worse off due to the delay to the tournament. From an England point of view, how many changes might we see in the squad and will we fare better playing the competition a year later with the youth coming from?
Firstly, the players who could push their way into the squad who may not have taken a place in the squad had the Euros been this summer. One of the first names that may come to many people’s lips is that of Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden. Seen as one of England’s best young talents, a number of England fans have already wanted to see Foden in an England shirt but due to a lack of starts at club level England manager Gareth Southgate is yet to call Foden up to the full national side. There is no doubt that if Foden can gain regular starts for Manchester City next season he will be a part of Southgate’s squad at next year’s Euros. However, the big question is whether Foden will regularly start for Manchester City.
The left-back position is one that could be a significant question for Gareth Southgate next year. Behind Ben Chilwell, the back-up position is by no means guaranteed and therefore could be a bit of a free-for-all. The likes of Danny Rose and Luke Shaw have played for England at left-back in recent years but have fallen out of favour in the last 12 months at both club and international level. With an extra year to prepare for the Euros, some younger left-backs have a real opportunity of pushing their case in the next 12 months and forcing their way into the squad when they may not have been able to if the competition had taken place this summer. For example, Bukayo Saka at Arsenal and Brandon Williams at Manchester United can benefit from an extra year as well as a lack of quality, set-in-stone options. In midfield, Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek could hugely benefit from the extra year. Having ruptured his Achilles tendon in May 2019, Loftus-Cheek has yet to feature for Chelsea this season and if the Euros had taken place this summer there is little to no chance he would have featured. However, with the Euros pushed back a year, Loftus-Cheek’s drive and power from midfield could see him selected.
As well as looking at the players who could work their way into the squad, there are some who may miss out who would have been in contention this year. An added year to wait for the Euros could work against Kieran Trippier, who will be 30 by the time next summer comes around. Considering the exceptional young talent that England right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Reece James, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to pick Trippier in the squad next year.
One player who will be hugely frustrated that the Euros won’t be taking place this year is Danny Ings. Ings has been in fantastic goal-scoring form for Southampton in the Premier League this season and not only would he have been in contention for a place in the squad, he could have found himself in the starting XI given both Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford may not have returned due to injury before the end of the Premier League season in normal circumstances. That is not to say that Ings will have a bad season next season, but he has been in great form this season and considering the injuries to other players in the same position Ings could very conceivably have found himself starting for England at the Euros this summer.
Who will make the squad?
Goalkeepers
Goalkeeper is certainly that divides opinion amongst England fans. Everton’s Jordan Pickford has been Gareth Southgate’s man of choice over the last couple of years. However, it is impossible to ignore the number of mistakes he has made for Everton and England over the last 12 months. Not only has he made numerous errors leading to goals (joint most in the PL since the start of last season) his so-called ‘best trait’, his distribution, has been very questionable this season. One of Southgate’s mantras is that he picks players on form and if he is to stay true to his word, then he must drop Pickford. That then brings us on to who will start between the sticks and there are two goalkeepers who have both had good seasons so far in the form of Burnley’s Nick Pope and Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson. Pope has the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season so far and Henderson is joint second. Both have pushed their cases for the starting spot, with Pope perhaps edging Henderson for the position at the moment. Pickford would probably take a spot in the squad but he certainly shouldn’t be starting for England.
Defenders
England have a plethora of options at right-back so picking the options are not going to be a problem for Southgate. Trent Alexander-Arnold is the clear starter, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be his deputy. Reece James could ask some questions with another season under his belt at Chelsea but Alexander-Arnold and Wan-Bissaka are the clear number one and two. Centre-back and left-back could prove a problem beyond the starters who are guaranteed. At centre-back, Harry Maguire and Joe Gomez will almost certainly start for England at the Euros so long as they don’t get injured but after them it is difficult to know who will be in the squad. The options include John Stones, Fikayo Tomori, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, Conor Coady, Tyrone Mings. There seems to be a reticence from Southgate to select the likes of Tarkowski and Mee and it is strange why that is the case. Putting it another way, if Tarkowski or Mee played for a top-six side they would regularly feature in England squads. In terms of the left-back position, Ben Chilwell is the obvious starter but there is seemingly a free-for-all for the back-up position. Luke Shaw, Danny Rose, Brandon Williams, Bukayo Saka and Ryan Bertrand all have a chance of being in the squad. As none of those options at this moment in time are by no means nailed on for the back-up position, potentially picking another right-back in the form of Reece James who could fill in at left-back if needs be that would probably be a better option.
Midfielders
Gareth Southgate has a number of interesting decisions to make with the balance of the midfield. How many attacking, creative midfielders will Southgate gamble on? Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice will be England’s holding midfielder options, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a player Southgate will be desperately hoping stays fit ahead of the Euros having missed numerous previous tournaments due to injury. One of the most intriguing decisions that faces Southgate is how many creative midfielders he takes. The men in contention include James Maddison, Jack Grealish, Dele Alli, Mason Mount and Phil Foden. It is very unlikely that Southgate will pick all of these creative midfielders so the question is who misses out. Despite many England fans calling for his inclusion, Leicester’s James Maddison doesn’t seem to be Southgate’s cup of tea. Maddison’s form over the last couple of the years with Leicester should see him not only in the squad but potentially in the starting XI and Southgate does always maintain that players will be picked on form. Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish has impressed many this season and could earn a big money move in the summer. Manchester City’s Phil Foden could be one of those who benefits from the extra year if he can gain more regular game time for his club. If he get back fully fit again and return to form, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has a good chance of being picked in the squad.
Forwards
England’s options in forward areas are looking in good shape and probably in a better shape than they would have been this summer with both Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford struggling for fitness ahead of the tournament. Jadon Sancho is one of the most exciting young players in Europe having had more than 30 goals involvements in the Bundesliga this season so far, Raheem Sterling has played a key role for club and country over the last couple of years, Harry Kane is one of the most lethal goalscorers in Europe and Marcus Rashford has been a mainstay for England for the last few years. Tammy Abraham has been in good form for Chelsea this season in his first full season for his boyhood club after a number of years on loan and he would seem in a good position to be the 5th forward in the squad. If Danny Ings can maintain his form from this season next season for Southampton he too could be in the squad but the additional year could count against him.
Potential 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers- Nick Pope, Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford
Defenders- Trent Alexander Arnold, Aaron Wan Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Joe Gomez, James Tarkowski, Conor Coady, Ben Chilwell, Reece James
Midfielders- Jordan Henderson, James Maddison, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Jack Grealish, Declan Rice, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Dele Alli
Forwards- Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Tammy Abraham
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