With just a few days to go until England’s appearance in the inaugural UEFA Nations League finals in Portugal, manager Gareth Southgate has named his final 23-man squad.
The four players who miss out are Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse of Southampton, and Harry Winks and Kieran Trippier of Tottenham Hotspur.
Redmond will benefit from his time with England after a fine season for the Saints but as the last man in, he’s the first man out. Ward-Prowse is unfortunate to play in a position where England have established options.
Winks is working through a return from injury and it’s no shock that Southgate is prepared to allow him the time and space to do that, leaving his progress in the hands of his club for now.
But Trippier’s omission will concern the player. After a fabulous World Cup, the Spurs right back’s form has dipped in spite of their progress as a team.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith competition from Kyle Walker, now more likely to play for Southgate as a full back than a right-sided centre back, and an in-form Trent Alexander-Arnold, Trippier’s England prospects must now be reignited by his club performances.
The final squad:
Goalkeepers
Jack Butland (Stoke City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders
Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Declan Rice (West Ham United)
Forwards
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (AFC Bournemouth)
