England have such depth that an XI of players not going to Euro 2024 would probably be able to challenge at the tournament.
Gareth Southgate has named his provisional 33-man list of players for the tournament before it is trimmed down to 26 stars.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Jordan Pickford are just three key inclusions that many expected, but other big names missed out.
Jordan Henderson has been a mainstay under Southgate although he hasn’t made the cut along with Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho.
Marcus Rashford is also absent, and talkSPORT.com has created an immensely talented England XI that won’t feature at Euro 2024.
Four goalkeepers have been named in the provisional squad but Nick Pope is not one of those despite previously earning ten caps.
The 32-year-old made his first start for Newcastle since December on Sunday in their 4-2 win over Brentford having spent much of the season injured with a dislocated shoulder.
Chelsea full-back duo Ben Chilwell and Reece James feature at left and right-back respectively, two players with a combined total of 37 appearances for England.
Both have suffered hamstring issues this season, with the latter in particular undergoing surgery amid a recurring problem.
Eric Dier is one of the notable centre-backs to not be included in Southgate’s squad despite a solid loan spell at Bayern Munich from Tottenham.
He helped the German giants reach the Champions League semi-finals before defeat to Real Madrid, making 20 appearances in total.
Alongside him is Ben White, one of Arsenal’s shining stars years in yet another season in which they challenged for the Premier League title.
However, he hasn’t been selected for England since he left their 2022 Qatar World Cup came for ‘personal reasons’ and Southgate revealed in March he doesn’t want to be considered for his squads.
The Three Lions boss was asked on Tuesday if he had spoken to White amid his latest squad but said: “No. As far as I’m aware he’s not available to us.”
Henderson has made 81 caps for England and featured heavily under Southgate but is somewhat surprisingly out of his latest squad.
The midfielder left Liverpool last summer and has endured a poor season which he first spent at Al Ettifaq before switching to Ajax in January.
Explaining his omission, the England boss said: “Henderson’s given himself every chance. The determining factor was the injury he picked up in the last camp. He missed five weeks and wasn’t able to get back up to the level of intensity. It was a difficult decision.”
Next to him in the middle of the park is Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, a player who is yet to have been selected in a senior England squad.
He scored five goals and assisted another ten in the Premier League this season but has been overlooked in a position already filled with experience and quality.
On the left of the attack is Rashford who, despite earning 60 caps with England and starring at the World Cup, will also miss Euro 2024.
The winger was unable to build upon the incredible 30 goals he scored for Manchester United in the 2022/23 campaign as he netted just eight this time round.
“With Marcus I just feel other players in that area have had better seasons,” Southgate said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Through the middle is Sancho, who hasn’t played for England since he assisted two goals in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in 2021.
His start to life at United proved difficult last season but his loan spell back at Borussia Dortmund has seen his form improve with three goals and three assists.
Sancho is also set to feature in the Champions League final against Madrid on June 1, but that’s not enough to make the England squad.
Chelsea winger Sterling takes his place on the right despite an improved second season at the Blues, scoring ten goals and assisting eight.
The 29-year-old has 82 caps to his name and is one of England’s most experienced and successful players but his last call-up came at the World Cup.
Leading the line is Dominic Solanke, who finished joint-fourth in the Premier League Golden Boot race with Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins on 19 goals for Bournemouth.
He made his England debut in 2017 in a friendly against Brazil but hasn’t been selected since, with Kane, Watkins and Ivan Toney ahead of him in the pecking order.
