Gareth Southgate could axe two huge England stars from Euro 2024 squad in previously unthinkable move

Gareth Southgate is reportedly considering two huge decisions that no-one would have expected at the start of the season.

England’s preparations for EURO 2024 are over until the end of the season following the conclusion of the final international break.

The Three Lions went without a win, losing 1-0 to Brazil after a late Endrick goal before Jude Bellingham rescued a 2-2 draw against Belgium following a brace from Youri Tielemans.

Southgate handed England debuts to Anthony Gordon, Kobbie Mainoo and Ezri Konsa as he weighed up his options ahead of picking his 23-man squad in the coming months.

The provisional squad will be announced on May 21, with the time running out for players to book their ticket.

According to The Mirror, Southgate is considering making a huge decision that once seemed unthinkable, opting to leave both Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish out of his final squad.

Rashford has struggled under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United this season and was disciplined by the club earlier in the year for off-field issues.

On the other hand, Grealish has struggled with injuries in a stop-start season for Manchester City.

Marcus Rashford could equal an unwanted England record against Brazil and Belgium.

Both players have serious competition with Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer all capable of playing out wide this summer.

Rashford appeared off the bench against Brazil but was an unused substitute in the draw against Belgium despite being fit.

Southgate admitted at the start of the break that he wanted to assess other options in that position.

He said: “I wanted to see Anthony Gordon again.

“I thought he had an excellent impact in the first game and I thought that [James] Maddison coming into that area could open things up for us a bit.”

The final England squad will be decided on June 8 with the tournament officially kicking off on June 14. The Three Lions have two friendly games before the deadline meaning players will have one last chance to force their way into the manager’s thoughts.

Topics: England, Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford, Manchester United, Manchester City

Marcus Banks

Marcus Banks is a social media editor for SPORTbible. He previously worked for publications such as the Liverpool Echo, Daily Mirror, Manchester Evening News and Dexerto. Specialises in football and MMA.

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