Manchester United defender Harry Maguire could be ruled out of Euro 2024 after missing England’s last traininng session before Gareth Southgate names his final squad.
A veteran of two World Cups, Maguire was expected to make the cut as seven players from the preliminary group are sent home, which must happen no later than after England face Iceland on Friday night. But he may now be forced to give up seat on the plane to Germany.
As per reports from the Telegraph, Maguire’s fitness has been questioned ahead of the European Championship, casting doubts over whether he will be involved in the upcoming tournament.
Doubts began to circle when Maguire was sidelined for Manchester United’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City. It was believed that he would recover in time to make Southgate’s final squad, but hadn’t recovered by the time England trained on Thursday in preparation for their last warm-up game.
Maguire, United teammate Luke Shaw and Brighton’s Lewis Dunk all undertook individual programmes instead – with Shaw’s status at left-back seemingly more concrete than Maguire’s.
Confirmation is yet to come from either the manager or the FA, but the loss of Maguire would come as a huge blow for England, who are striving to earn silverware in Germany.
His exit would likely mean an opportunity for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who would become the top choice to play alongside John Stones at the heart of the defence.
Southgate’s final squad is set to be revealed very soon, with the UEFA deadline at midnight on Friday. England have already ruled out Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison and Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, with the pair leaving the training camp after news of their omission.
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