Unleashing England's Aces: The Indispensable Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson against Ukraine and Scotland
England squad: Henderson and Maguire picked; Nketiah, Colwill earn first call-ups; Sterling, Pope, Ward-Prowse dropped Bowen, March, Watkins, Gibbs-White overlooked despite strong starts Improved description: England announces squad for Ukraine and Scotland matches, including Maguire and Henderson Exciting call-ups for Nketiah and Colwill, while Sterling, Pope, and Ward-Prowse miss out Surprising omissions for Bowen, March, Watkins, and Gibbs-White despite impressive performances this season
Do you have any objections to Gareth Southgate's chosen 26-man squad for the upcoming matches against Ukraine and Scotland? The English team will confront Ukraine in Poland for their Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday, September 9, followed by a match against Scotland at Hampden Park three days later. This match commemorates the 150th anniversary since the initial encounter between the two teams.
England manager Southgate made the decision to include Harry Maguire in his squad, despite the centre-back not receiving a starting position for Manchester United in the current season. Additionally, Southgate opted to retain Jordan Henderson in the squad even after the midfielder's move from Liverpool to Saudi Pro League team Al Ettifaq.
In a notable development, Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah and Chelsea defender Levi Colwill have received their first senior call-ups to the national team.
Despite their impressive performance at the start of the campaign, several players with limited international experience such as James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins, and Morgan Gibbs-White were all overlooked for the upcoming fixtures. Additionally, Brighton winger Solly March, who was eagerly awaiting his first call-up, was also left out of the squad.
Raheem Sterling, England's beloved player, was left out, as Southgate disclosed that the Chelsea forward was discontented with the decision. Newcastle's goalkeeper Nick Pope also faced exclusion, making way for Crystal Palace's shot-stopper Sam Johnstone, alongside the usual choices of Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale.
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State of play
What do the stats say?
What should the England starting XI look like, based purely on form this season?According to the We Power Rankings, the team lineup chosen by Southgate would appear significantly different from his usual line-ups. This unique ranking system assigns points to players based on 35 matchday statistics. Surprisingly, over half of the XI selected for this team do not even belong to the current England squad.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who recently signed lucrative contracts with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, have secured their places as regular starters in the team. The full-back positions are held by Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United and uncapped Rico Henry from Brentford. Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan and Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace form the center-back duo.
Starting after a sensational beginning for Tottenham, James Maddison continues to impress after his £40m transfer from Leicester this summer. In the midfield trio, alongside Bellingham and the recently signed James Ward-Prowse from West Ham, Maddison adds a remarkable dynamism.
England is undoubtedly brimming with choices in their attacking flanks, yet the standout performer in the right channel is the underrated winger, Jarrod Bowen, overshadowing all competitors. Simultaneously, the left flank is occupied by the uncapped Brighton forward, Solly March, who currently stands as the third most in-form player in the Premier League.
