The England Attacking Pair Are At Risk Of Being Excluded From Euro 2024.
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford are reportedly facing uncertainty regarding their inclusion in the England squad for Euro 2024. In recent days, Gareth Southgate has been overseeing England’s final two matches before making his squad selection for the upcoming major tournament.
On Saturday, England suffered a 1-0 defeat against Brazil at Wembley Stadium, struggling to make an impact in attack and conceding a late goal to Endrick. Three days later, a late goal from Jude Bellingham salvaged a 2-2 draw against Belgium, showing signs of improvement in the attacking play. In the Belgium match, Southgate opted to introduce players like James Maddison, Anthony Gordon, and Jarrod Bowen in search of an equalizer, partly to provide opportunities for fringe players to showcase their abilities.
Maddison demonstrated his impact by cleverly assisting Bellingham’s equalizer, but it was evident that Southgate did not call upon Rashford during the later stages of the match.
Against Brazil in the previous game, Rashford only featured for 15 minutes, prompting questions about his standing in the team hierarchy.
According to The Mirror, the 26-year-old’s place in the 23-player squad for the upcoming tournament in Germany is not assured.
In addition to facing competition from other players for his various positions, Rashford has only managed to score eight goals in 35 appearances across all competitions during the 2023-24 season.
While Rashford was part of the latest squad, Grealish was absent due to a groin injury sustained in the FA Cup match against Luton Town on February 27.
This setback adds to several others Grealish has faced throughout the campaign, whether due to injury or being among the substitutes at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite making 20 starts and seven substitute appearances this season, only seven of those starts came in the Premier League, which could potentially work against him when Southgate finalizes his squad.
Before the recent matches, Southgate mentioned that Grealish “was definitely not out of the question,” but there are suggestions that he may have slipped down the pecking order ahead of the final selection.
The squad for the Euros will be announced before friendlies against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland, with the likelihood of several reserves also being involved in the group.
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