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- 鈥淭hese are difficult calls, you are talking about players who are very good players who have been an important part of what we have done,鈥� Southgate said
- Rashford was arguably the biggest name to be omitted
BURTON, England: Marcus Rashford was left out of England鈥檚 provisional squad for the European Championship on Tuesday.
The Manchester United striker has paid the price for a disappointing season at club level and failed to make the cut for Gareth Southgate鈥檚 initial 33-man selection.
Jordan Henderson and Reece James were also left out.
鈥淭hese are difficult calls, you are talking about players who are very good players who have been an important part of what we have done,鈥� Southgate said. 鈥淲ith Marcus, I feel players in the same area of the pitch have had better seasons, it鈥檚 as simple as that.鈥�
Rashford was arguably the biggest name to be omitted 鈥� especially after enjoying a career-best campaign two seasons ago when he scored 34 goals for club and country.
It has been a different story over the past year when he has managed just eight goals for a United team that suffered their lowest-ever Premier League finish 鈥� eighth.
He responded later on Instagram to say he was 鈥淲ishing Gareth and the boys all the best鈥� for the Euros.
The squad will eventually be reduced to 26 players on June 8, with the Euros kicking off in Germany on June 14.
Rashford鈥檚 United teammate Kobbie Mainoo was selected after an outstanding breakthrough season and Chelsea forward Cole Palmer was also included.
Palmer was likely one of the forward options Southgate referred to when explaining Rashford鈥檚 omission after he scored 22 Premier League goals in his first season at Chelsea 鈥� a record only bettered by Erling Haaland.
Henderson and James were also notable omissions.
Former Liverpool captain Henderson misses out after his decision to leave Anfield for the 萝莉视频n league last year, while James鈥� absence comes on the back of an injury-plagued campaign for Chelsea.
Henderson has remained a part of England鈥檚 set up despite his controversial decision to join Al-Ettifaq. He left after just six months and completed a move to Dutch giant Ajax, but a muscle injury late in the season convinced Southgate to leave him out.
鈥淗endo has given himself every chance. The determining factor is the injury he picked up around the last camp. He鈥檚 missed five weeks,鈥� Southgate said. 鈥淗e hasn鈥檛 been able to get to the intensity in the games since then.鈥�
James, who missed the Qatar World Cup because of a knee injury, has struggled with his fitness for much of the past season and played only 11 games.
Liverpool鈥檚 Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones were called up for the first time, as well as Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
Southgate said United defender Luke Shaw is 鈥渦p against it鈥� to prove his fitness after an injury-disrupted season.
鈥淭his has been as complicated a group as I can remember picking, and we鈥檝e had quite a few complicated ones,鈥� the England manager said.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)