England have already booked their place for Euro 2024 next summer, but that doesn’t mean Gareth Southgate can sit around for the next few months. No, he will desperately try to assemble the best team to take him to Germany in June.
Like any coach, the Three Lions coach has his favourites, but form, injuries and all sorts of things can influence who ends up getting their seat on the plane. Another key factor is that you are only allowed to take 23 players. The length of the teams was increased from 23 to 26 at the last European Championship, as there was a high risk of players being unavailable due to possible COVID-19 cases and quarantine measures. But that number has now shrunk.
The good news is that Southgate has no shortage of quality players to choose from, but that would possibly give him a bit of a headache. In the middle of the park, there are still question marks over Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips, but in Defense, the scenario can also be even more complicated. In fact, there are a number of quality characteristics at the back, but some key player injuries can also be problematic, and it’s still unclear what their favourite characteristics are when it comes to having intensity at centre-back.
With all this in mind, here at GIVEMESPORT we have the idea to evaluate England’s existing defensive characteristics and classify them into five distinct categories. The characteristics are: “No chance”, “Exit failed”, “External shout”, “Should be on the team”, and “Get him on the plane”. See what you think below!
Rico Henry, Conor Coady, Tyrone Mings, Joe Gomez, Eric Dier
Unfortunately for Aston Villa and Brentford defenders Tyrone Mings and Rico Henry, injuries will likely prevent them from having a chance to be part of the England squad. The pair suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries at the start of the current Premier League season and possibly wouldn’t even play for their clubs again until after Euro 2024.
Southgate has relied on Conor Coady and Eric Dier in the past, and they have 59 England caps between them, but all that turns out to be in the past. Coady entered the league with Leicester City and Dier lost his starting spot at Tottenham Hotspur since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou. That said, it’s hard to see them doing enough to get back into the national team setup. As for Joe Gomez, he never felt literally able to impress Southgate and hasn’t played for the Three Lions since 2020. The lack of normal starts with Liverpool would possibly not help in his case.
Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Rico Lewis, Levi Colwill
Ezri Konsa actually earned his first call-up to the Three Lions in this overseas break after a strong start to the season with Aston Villa. He started all 12 Premier League games with the Villans fifth in the table. However, he only made this team due to an injury to Lewis Dunk and it seems that there are a lot of characteristics ahead of Konsa in the pecking order at the moment. Rico Lewis is another new face in the team, also due to injury, but this summer’s tournament could come too soon for the right-back, who is only 18 years old.
Chelsea’s Levi Colwill is certainly a talented defender and, after winning the European Under-21 Championship last summer, is already well on his way to one day having a wonderful career with the senior national team. However, he still only has one call-up, so he will possibly have to wait until after Germany 2024 before he can make his mark on the team.
Having established himself as an incredibly reliable option as a right-back or centre-back at Arsenal, Ben White is smart enough to be part of the England squad. Of course, he was even part of Southgate’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, but he dropped out of the tournament in the middle of the tournament for unknown “personal reasons”. He hasn’t been picked by any team since then and it seems that non-football related reasons would possibly save him from betting on the Three Lions. as long as Southgate is still in charge.
Fikayo Tomori, Lewis Dunk, Ben Chilwell
As mentioned above, the Dunk component of the existing team still had to retire due to injury. Now, with a smart track record with Brighton in the Europa League, the 31-year-old is not yet an option to be ruled out. There are still a few other centre-backs who seem to be more accurate shouts to be part of the 23-man squad. Fikayo Tomori is another central defender, like Dunk, who is on the sidelines of the team. The AC Milan ace is a component of the existing squad and were given opposite minutes to Malta from the bench, however, it’s not as if Southgate has taken advantage of the chance to bring him in, so that decision is still up in the air.
Ben Chilwell has played just six times in the league this season and has just 30 combined Premier League appearances spread over the past two seasons. He just hasn’t been able to stay in shape. That said, there will be questions about their involvement. , but if he manages to stay injury-free during tournament preparation, he’ll have a chance.
Luke Shaw, Reece James, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw is a bit like Chilwell in that he is a strong defender of the team as a reliable option at left back, but fitness issues could ruin his chances. Although life is chaotic for any Manchester United player at the moment, the 28-year-old has been one of his club’s most reliable players in recent years and Southgate will most likely partner him in his 23-man squad. . After all, he scored. ultimately facing Italy at Euro 2020. Chelsea’s Reece James is another injury-prone full-back (playing for a volatile club), who has more than enough quality to be part of the team, provided he can stay fit. .
Marc Guehi is probably just ahead of Dunk and Tomori when it comes to the centre-back hierarchy, so his chances of making it into the squad are pretty good. As long as he can maintain his strong performances with Crystal Palace, one would believe that he will. We’ll have to worry about it in Germany next summer. As for Harry Maguire, if Southgate hasn’t let him down yet, then there’s no explanation for thinking he’s going to let him down before this tournament starts. He has gained some form at the club in recent times and has managed four wins in his last five league starts with the Red Devils.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier
The smart thing for Trent Alexander-Arnold is that he plays as a right-back at Liverpool and is known as a defender, Southgate turns out to favor him as an option in midfield, and he is even listed as a midfielder in official English football. website. That said, his versatility (along with all his other qualities) makes him a must-have piece for this team. John Stones has also proven to be a leading option in multiple positions for Manchester City, however, with the lack of world-class central defensive features in England, it can almost be assured that he will start this tournament as a central defender.
Depending on the fitness of Shaw and Chilwell, Kieran Trippier may even be asked to slot in at left-back, as he has done on several occasions for England. Otherwise, his experience will suit Southgate, who can play. him on the other flank as a right back or even as a winger if necessary. Finally, we have Kyle Walker, who Southgate had to twice dissuade from retiring to England. -Back can start packing your bags for Germany with the same peace of mind.
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