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Newcastle United players may face stiff competition for selection in England’s Euro 2024 squad.
Newcastle United star Anthony Gordon will need to compete for his spot in England’s 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
The 23-year-old watched from the stands at St James’ Park as England secured a 3-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina in a pre-tournament friendly, with second-half goals from Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Harry Kane.
Manager Gareth Southgate must reduce his 33-man squad to 26 players by Friday’s deadline. England will host Iceland at Wembley Stadium on Friday for their final warm-up match before heading to Germany.
Gordon, who earned his first two England caps in March, has been included in the provisional squad for Euro 2024 despite an ankle injury that sidelined him for Monday’s match at St James’ Park. He is expected to return on Friday.
However, Gordon faces stiff competition for his position from Eberechi Eze and Jack Grealish, who both performed well on the left at St James’ Park. Southgate highlighted Eze as a standout after the match and also praised Grealish.
“I would imagine Eberechi Eze has caught the eye, the way he started the game and the power he shows as he glides,” Southgate said.
Grealish replaced Eze and assisted Alexander-Arnold in the final minutes.
“We know the qualities [Grealish] has and what he’s capable of doing,” Southgate added. “He’s a great character to work with.
“We’re juggling many factors to integrate individuals and manage their playing time. We want to build on our performance. Physically, it’s an important game for the players, even those who have played frequently, as they still need the rhythm of playing matches. So, Friday’s match is another crucial exercise for us.”
When asked about reducing the squad numbers this week, Southgate replied, “I’ll work through that with the staff over the next few days and decide on the best approach.”
England aims to win the European Championships for the first time this summer and enters the tournament as favorites. The Three Lions were runners-up in 2021 and have been drawn in a group with Serbia, Denmark, and Slovakia. Southgate’s team will open the tournament against Serbia on June 16.
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