Declan Rice is an integral part of England's midfield while the still injured Luke Shaw is the only specialist left-back in Gareth Southgate's 33-man provisional squad Photo: Lars Baron/AP" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/BouTtoKd2ha4q06BorHRSg-/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/theguardian_763/1df8d87f822dc0f6029 b311ad567cf10″ data-src= "https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/BouTtoKd2ha4q06BorHRSg-/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/theguardian_763/1df8d87f822dc0f6029b311 ad567cf10″/>
Gareth Southgate has warned England will not have a "procession to Berlin" for the Euro 2024 final as he opened up about the difficulties he faced after naming a provisional 33-man squad.
The key points were the omission of two of his stalwarts - Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford - while Ben Chilwell was also overlooked. There was also no recall for Eric Dier. Southgate accentuated the youth with first call-ups for James Trafford, Jarell Quansah, Adam Wharton and Curtis Jones. Uncapped Jarrad Branthwaite was retained from the squad for March's friendlies against Brazil and Belgium and Eberechi Eze was given a chance.
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Southgate will reduce the squad to 26 after the warm-up match against Iceland at Wembley on June 7. England will play Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James' Park on June 3. They will start during the final in Germany against Serbia on June 16.
It was hard to ignore the inexperience of the squad; only 16 of the selected people have 10 or more caps. Or the main areas of concern: the lack of cover for Declan Rice in the No.6 role and the situation at left-back, where Southgate's preferred choice, Luke Shaw, has not played since February 18 due to a muscle injury. Southgate said Shaw was "working with the medical team" at Manchester United, making it seem unlikely he would be involved in Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City. He admitted that Shaw was a "gamble" in terms of the euro. With Chilwell not selected, Southgate will rely on Kieran Trippier, who is more comfortable at right-back. He mentioned another non-specialist left-back - Joe Gomez - as someone who could do a job there.
Southgate was asked if Rice's lack of cover could expose him. Kalvin Phillips was out of the picture before Henderson's exclusion.
"Yes, no doubt about it," Southgate replied. "I've talked a lot about numbers and players, but people don't want to hear it because we have so much talent in certain areas of the pitch. But the impact of those numbers is clear in certain positions. We just have to do that differently. We don't have another Rice-type player profile. "Over the last few months I've been thinking, 'Declan with who?' And: 'Who if without Declan?' When everyone says we have a procession to Berlin, those are the things I have to worry about."
Southgate made it clear there were "very few". [English] playing left-footed left-backs". He did not select Chelsea's left-footed centre-back Levi Colwill, who has come in at left-back. "We believe that Trippier and Gomez have performed as well or better than the others in those areas, even though one or two may be left-footed," Southgate said.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford.
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker.
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton.
Forward: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins.
"Some of the biggest clubs in our league have had to adapt without a natural left back. You just have to change the way you build and figure out how to be as unpredictable as possible with the ball, even if you don't have a left-footer there. There is no other player like Shaw who can build and play with that kind of skill on the outside of his foot."
Southgate's decision on Henderson follows the phasing out of Raheem Sterling - two of the players he described as his side's 'ancestors' at the previous European Championship in the summer of 2021; the others were Harry Maguire and Harry Kane.
Southgate wants to move away from a defined leadership group and allow some younger players, albeit ones with plenty of caps and big game experience, such as Rice and Jude Bellingham, to step up.
There was no doubt the manager had to make a tough call to Henderson, who must bitterly regret his decision to move to Saudi Arabia from Liverpool last summer. Henderson changed course in January and joined Ajax, but a seven-week injury layoff from mid-March further undermined his catch-up mission against England.
"The determining factor is the injury he suffered around the last camp [in March]" said Southgate. "Since then he has not been able to match the intensity of the matches. It's clear that with Hendo we're going to miss a leader, a great person... yes, that was a very difficult decision because he couldn't have done more to get himself where he needs to be."
On Rashford, Southgate said he "spoke to him a little bit in March about his season... [and] others who have played very well on that part of the pitch". It sounded like a warning for an attacker who had fought hard for his best form. Since then, Rashford has not scored in seven games for United. Before the cup final, he has eight at club level this season plus one for England.
"He will be hugely disappointed," said Southgate. "But again [as with Henderson], he was really respectful. I said to him: 'Now you have to go and score some goals this weekend and put things right.'
Southgate stepped in to allay fears over Kane's fitness. England captain manager at Bayern Munich, Thomas Tuchel, had revealed last Friday that Kane had a "complete blockage in his back... it has gotten worse and is interfering with his daily movements".
Tuchel was criticized for replacing Kane in the Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid on May 8, but said it had been a "borderline decision" to play him because of the injury. Kane subsequently missed Bayern's last two Bundesliga matches.
Southgate said: "Our understanding of it is that it is now pretty much clear. Back problems can just happen... traveling, whatever. But it's not something we worry about.
"On a personal level it won't be fun for Harry [that he did not win a trophy with Bayern this season] and I'm sure he'll be aware of what people will say about that. But his love for this challenge [at the Euros] and the desire to create this work has never wavered."