Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire have been left out of England’s final squad for Euro 2024.
James Maddison and Curtis Jones have also been culled from Gareth Southgate’s 26-player squad.
But Grealish and Maguire will be seen as the big-name omissions ahead of the tournament in Germany.
“I am devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer,” Maguire posted on social media. “Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted.”
Maddison tweeted earlier: “Devastated doesn’t quite cut it. Trained well and worked hard all week but if I’m honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn’t at the levels I had set which gave Gareth a decision to make. I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different & had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign.”
Southgate has to cut his preliminary squad down to 26 by 11pm on Friday – around an hour after England’s final Euro 2024 warm-up game against Iceland at Wembley.
England then begin their Euro 2024 campaign on June 16 against Serbia.
Jarell Quansah is also expected to be culled from the 33-player provisional squad named last week, while reports elsewhere have suggested that Jarrad Branthwaite and James Trafford will miss out.
Analysis: Snub an unexpected blow for Grealish
Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett:
“It’s a big blow to Grealish and it is unexpected. Grealish himself decided to turn up early for training as part of the Manchester City squad that was part of the FA Cup final.
“He arrived at the earliest opportunity to try to prove his fitness and show how desperate he was to be part of this squad but Southgate feels he has better options elsewhere.
“Grealish and Marcus Rashford have fewer goals and assists across the 2023/24 Premier League season than Eberechi Eze. He now looks like a strong contender for the squad.”
Analysis: Maddison’s England exit no surprise
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
“With three goals and five assists in his first nine Premier League games for Tottenham, Maddison was on course for Player of the Season, let alone a spot in the England Euros squad.
“He was a shoo-in nine months ago, but now he is the first to be omitted from this extended England group.
“This is no surprise. His form has dropped off since that scintillating start for Spurs this season. The only Premier League goal contributions he made since March 10 came against Burnley and Sheffield United, while he was not given a starting role in a makeshift England line-up against Bosnia.”