England manager Gareth Southgate has issued a warning to Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish about the intense competition they face for a spot in his Euro 2024 squad.
Rashford and Grealish are experiencing challenging seasons at their clubs, which might jeopardize their inclusion in the Euro 2024 lineup.
Grealish has struggled with injuries, starting only seven Premier League games for Manchester City. On the other hand, Rashford has been a regular starter for Manchester United but has failed to hit his best form.
Southgate has a wealth of options on the flanks and recently included Jarrod Bowen, Cole Palmer, and Anthony Gordon in his squad for friendlies against Belgium and Brazil.
England National Team (Via FIFA/Twitter)
This trio is poised to challenge Rashford and Grealish for their spots, while Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden are almost guaranteed to be in the squad if fit.
He told reporters: “Jack’s definitely not out of the picture. I spoke to him before I named the squad. But as I said when I named the squad, Gordon and Bowen are pushing those guys.
“I think Anthony Gordon has been excellent for his club. And obviously Marcus got on in the first game. But I wanted to see Gordon again. I thought James Maddison coming on would have an impact and Bowen has also had a really good camp. So there’s competition for places.
Jack Grealish (Via FIFA/Twitter)
“I said when I named the squad there is competition for places in those wide areas. A bit of a shame that Cole Palmer missed so much training that we weren’t able to put him into the game [against Belgium] at the stage it was having missed most of the week.
“We weren’t 100 per cent certain what we would get whereas with Gordon we knew and Maddison we knew. I wouldn’t rule Cole out of that equation.”
Both players clearly have work to do between now and the end of the season to convince Southgate they should play at Euro 2024.
Rashford had shown some glimpses of a return to form before the international break, scoring three goals in his last three games for Manchester United. Meanwhile, Grealish has been out of action for over a month but has returned to training with City after a groin problem.
