Why aren’t Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire in the England squad for Euro 2024?

England face Iceland in their last warm-up game for the tournament, but the Manchester City and United stars won’t be involved.

England manager Gareth Southgate sprung several surprises with his squad selection ahead of the 2024 European Championship, which begins in Germany on Friday 14 June. While Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford was the most obvious omission from the 33-man provisional roster, club teammate Harry Maguire and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish are the most high-profile absentees from the final 26-player squad for the tournament. The Three Lions complete their preparations by facing Iceland at Wembley on Friday.

What injury has Harry Maguire been struggling with?

Maguire started five of The Three Lions’ seven matches at Euro 2020 (played in 2021), all five of their games at the 2022 World Cup and each of their eight qualifiers for the upcoming tournament. He would surely have started in central defence in Germany but has been ruled out by a muscle injury that caused to miss United’s last four Premier League fixtures, as well as the FA Cup final win over City.

Southgate revealed Maguire had made progress in his recovery but wouldn’t have been available to play in the group stage. The England coach wasn’t prepared to sacrifice taking another fully-fit player in another position to take a 10th defender who may or may not have been ready to play.

Grealish pays the price for losing place at Manchester City

Grealish’s case, on the other hand, is entirely different. The City attacking midfielder has been a regular feature in Southgate’s squads over the years but has played more sparingly, starting once at Euro 2020 (he also made three substitute appearances), coming off the bench three times at the 2022 World Cup and playing in four of eight Euro 2024 qualifiers (two starts).

Nevertheless, he had been expected to make the squad for the tournament in Germany, but losing his place in Pep Guardiola’s first-choice lineup has ultimately cost him. Grealish started only 10 of 38 Premier League games in 2023/24, although he did play from the off in all eight of the Champions League matches he was available for.

Southgate on “tough, tough calls”

Explaining why both Grealish and Tottenham’s James Maddison were left out, Southgate said the following: “We just feel other players had stronger seasons, particularly in the last six months or so. Attacking areas, in particular, we’re blessed with a lot of options, all slightly different.

“Madders and Jack both give us something different as well. They’ve been tough calls, calls that we as a group have gone over and over and over. We back our decisions, but recognise we could have gone a different route.”

England are considered by many as one of the favourites to win the tournament and will start their campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday 16 June. They will also face Denmark (Thursday 20 June, Frankfurt) and Slovenia (Tuesday 25 June, Cologne) in Group C.