UPDATE Roy Hodgson has announced his 23 man squad of as follows:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley).
Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).
Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).
England manager Roy Hodgson will announce his final 23-man squad for Euro 2016 on Tuesday evening.
The former Liverpool manager has already named a 26-man provisional squad, it remains to be seen which three players will miss out in the end.
Fabian Delph has already confirmed that he’ll be out of action with injury. It leaves an anxious wait for the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Ross Barkley, Marcus Rashford, Danny Drinkwater and Andros Townsend, all of whom could drop out.
Sturridge hasn’t enjoyed a great domestic season with Liverpool with injury playing a major part in limiting his appearances. However, he ended up being Liverpool’s top scorer in 2015/16 and scored in the Europa Final against Sevilla as well.
Should he be included in the squad? He has already faced an injury scare during training with the national squad, and although he returned to training on Monday, his selection is far from guaranteed.
Rashford became the youngest England player ever to score on his full debut when he scored in the Three Lion’s 2-1 win over Australia at the Stadium of Light on Friday night.
The 18-year-old, who has signed a long term contract with Manchester United on Monday, only burst on to the scene in February. His consistent form, coupled with injuries to Danny Welbeck and Sturridge, has made him a serious contender for Euro 2016.
His lightning pace could be effective against tiring opposition defenders and could be used as an unknown element similar to Michael Owen’s inclusion in 1998.
Drinkwater has enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Leicester City but with so many star midfielders around, he could be overlooked. Likewise, Hodgson may omit Barkley from the list as well. The Everton attacking midfielder is an exciting talent but Hodgson has already a lot of options in that position in Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney.
Townsend was exceptionally brilliant since moving to Newcastle in January and it won’t be a surprise if he makes the 23-man squad. He is fast, skilful, creative and capable of playing on the wings, where England do not have enough options.
Can England win the Euro 2016 Championships in France?
The bookies, however, remain unconvinced. Tonybet.com have committed to being best odds for England to win at a standout 50/1. The rest of the market is in the region of 8/1.
The special 50/1 offer is available to any UK customer who enters Tonybet.com’s special £1 million Euro 2016 Madness bracket. Players bet £3 and predict the top three finishers in each group then the winners of the knockout stages and final. If only a single participant correctly predicts all categories, there is a £1 million pay-out.
To enter the Euro 2016 Madness bracket and qualify for the offer sign up, pay £3 and put in your entry at TonyBet EURO 2016 Madness bracket page.
It has been 50 years since the Three Lions have won a major championship, but overall it gives the impression of a fairly decent squad capable of causing an upset.
