Tuesday 17 May 2016 06:38, UK
Roy Hodgson has named a 26-man England squad for the friendlies with Turkey and Australia which he will trim to 23 for Euro 2016. But who will make the cut?
The England boss has picked three goalkeepers, seven defenders, 11 midfielders and five forwards. Three of those players won't be included when Hodgson announces his final squad on May 31.
"I'm making life that little bit harder for myself by having to reduce that to 23," said Hodgson. "But you never know what will happen in the preparation phase. Maybe some of these decisions will be made for me."
As Hodgson suggests, injuries could make his task more straightforward but should everyone come through unscathed he will have some tough calls to make.
Here we look at which players could be at risk of missing out on the final Euro 2016 squad…
Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, Tom Heaton
England must take three goalkeepers to Euro 2016, according to UEFA regulations, so Forster, Hart and Heaton will be on their way to France.
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Rose, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Kyle Walker
After taking eight defenders to Euro 2012 and seven to the 2014 World Cup, it would be a surprise if Hodgson was to crop the seven defenders named in his provisional squad for Euro 2016.
Certainly Cahill, Smalling and Stones will expect to keep their place, given they are the only orthodox centre-back options - although Eric Dier, named among the midfielders, can provide back-up in that area.
However, will England really need four full-backs in France? Even a run to the final would mean just seven matches for Hodgson's men - a workload you'd expect Bertrand, Clyne, Walker and Rose to be able to cope with, given they are first-team regulars in the Premier League.
Clyne played six of England's 10 qualifiers, while Walker and Bertrand featured only once and Rose didn't play at all - although he did start the two most recent friendlies against Germany and Netherlands.
Midfielders: Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Eric Dier, Danny Drinkwater, Fabian Delph, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere
An obvious area for Hodgson to trim is in midfield, where he has named 11 players - the England boss took just nine midfielders to Brazil. So who could be at risk?
Terry Butcher is tipping Delph to miss the trip, given his limited impact this season since switching to Manchester City. The former Aston Villa midfielder made just eight Premier League starts in 2015/16.
The only thing that stood out for me was Fabian Delph being in there . There are three players who have to be jettisoned and I'd say Delph will be one of the three.
Henderson and Wilshere will have to prove their fitness after missing substantial game-time but their presence in the 26-man group suggests Hodgson is willing to give them every chance of doing just that.
Should they convince the manager of their readiness, Drinkwater - who claimed the man of the match prize on his England debut in March - could be the central midfielder to miss out, given his lack of international experience.
Sterling has been far from his best at Manchester City this season, registering just three goals and two assists, but only Joe Hart made more appearances in qualifying and Hodgson is loyal to his regulars.
That's something Townsend has found out to his advantage. After missing the last round of England friendlies his impressive form since moving to Newcastle has won him a return to the international fold.
As well as a threat from the bench - all three of Townsend's England goals have come in the final 20 minutes - the winger could also fill the void left by the injured Danny Welbeck on the left.
PFA Young Player of the Year Alli and team-mate Dier seem certain to feature in France after making impressive starts to their England careers, while Barkley, fresh from his most productive season yet, and Liverpool pair Lallana and Milner also seem on course to make the cut.
Strikers: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Jamie Vardy
Despite a poor goal return for Manchester United this season, England captain Rooney received Hodgson's backing in his press conference and is assured a spot in France. Premier League top scorer Kane could not have done more and pacey Vardy, who finished second in the goal standings to Kane, is the man of the moment.
Sturridge has endured a number of injury lay-offs this season but has continued to score regularly for Liverpool. He didn't feature at all in qualifying but was Hodgson's first-choice frontman at the World Cup.
[Marcus Rashford] is one of the contenders. There's no reason why, if he does exceptionally well, he can't knock someone off their perch.
Rashford's inclusion is intriguing. The 18-year-old Manchester United striker was expected to be invited to train with the senior squad after impressing at Old Trafford but Hodgson suggested in his press conference it was not inconceivable that Rashford could force his way into the final 23.
"Bear in mind he's in the Manchester United team in front of Rooney in his favoured position," Stuart Pearce told Sky Sports. "He's had a wonderful end of the season and given United a big lift - and it will give the kid a big lift being involved in the senior squad."
