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England boss Gareth Southgate says he can \u201ctake far fewer gambles\u201d with his Euro 2024 squad compared to the previous two tournaments.<\/p>\n
Next year\u2019s competition will see a return to relative normality after the delayed, Covid-impacted Euro 2020 and an unprecedented winter World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n
Increased 26-man squads were introduced for both of those tournaments, but UEFA has confirmed the size of selections will return to 23 players in Germany.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes it a different sort of thought process because you\u2019ve had that leeway in the last couple of tournaments to take players that weren\u2019t going to be fit for the first couple of games,\u201d England boss Southgate said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr a bit of cover in certain positions that you might or might not have needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time the physical conditioning of players is going to be really important. The ability for players to bat out six, seven games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know having been to the end of two tournaments that physically the demands on that is far greater than we would have known had we not been through that experience, so we know that is a huge requirement.<\/p>\n
\nWe can take far fewer gambles than we were able to take for the last two tournaments where it was 26<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cIf you can only sort of take two for each position, players that are adaptable are helpful, players that can play more than one position are helpful.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut equally players that are physically vulnerable we will have got to think very carefully about.\u201d<\/p>\n
The enlarged selection at Euro 2020 helped Southgate include Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire. The former had not played since the February due to groin surgery and the latter missed six weeks with an ankle injury, returning to action in England\u2019s final group game and going onto be earn a place in the team of the tournament.<\/p>\n
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A 26-man squad for Euro 2020 allowed Gareth Southgate to include Jordan Henderson who may miss out this time around<\/p>\n
As for Qatar, Southgate was able to include Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips despite a lack of fitness following groin and shoulder surgery respectively.<\/p>\n
Asked if players needed to be fit to be on the plane to Germany, he said: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say all 23.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we can take far fewer gambles than we were able to take for the last two tournaments where it was 26.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long-serving number one Jordan Pickford is sure to be a key part of the squad next summer and is away with England at a time when his club side are in the headlines.<\/p>\n
It was announced in the hours before Friday\u2019s 2-0 win against Malta that Everton had been deducted 10 points after being found to have breached Premier League financial rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t spoken to Jordan about it,\u201d Southgate said ahead of Monday\u2019s final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia. \u201cThe rest at the minute is speculative, so we\u2019ll just have to see as and when anything happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has coped really well with a couple of really difficult seasons at Everton, where they\u2019ve been in the lower reaches of the league.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, if the ultimate decision is as has been said \u2013 I am guessing there will be some sort of appeal \u2013 then it\u2019s a scenario he\u2019s been through and actually been a really important player for.\u201d<\/p>\n