England boss Gareth Southgate has included skipper Harry Kane in his 23-man squad ahead of next month’s UEFA Nations League finals – but there is no place for his Tottenham team-mates Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks.
Kane has not kicked a ball since injuring his ankle against Manchester City on April 9, however the striker has declared himself fully fit ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday.
Kane said he could play in the final “today” , but his involvement with England will no doubt be dictated by how much game time he gets against the Reds in the Madrid showcase this weekend.
Southgate, however, has chosen not include Trippier and Winks in his final squad for the games against the Netherlands and Portugal or Switzerland, as he culled the group from an initial pool of 27.
Southampton pair James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond were the other casualties from his original squad announcement.
Trippier’s form has dipped somewhat in recent months, with the right-back struggling to maintain the levels he reached in an England shirt at last summer’s World Cup, while Winks is still recovering from a groin operation.
“We have got exciting players,” said Southgate, “and picking a squad is really difficult because we have lots of depth of talent, not only the squad we have picked but the Under-21s as well.
“There has been some difficult decisions to make and we are obviously a little bit complicated with so many players involved in the Champions League as well, but we are really excited by the squad and the players that are around it.”
The form of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker has influenced the manager’s thinking in terms of Trippier’s omission.
When asked about the 28-year-old’s absence, Southgate said: “Of course, Kieran Trippier has had such a big impact, and he had such a brilliant World Cup.
“He has been a really valuable member of our squad, has a great attitude with us and real passion in playing for England, but Trent (Alexander-Arnold) and Kyle (Walker) have finished the season so strongly.
“So it is a position where we have got real competition for places. That is as hard a decision as we have had to make.”
Here is the England roster in full:
GOALKEEPERS
Jack Butland (Stoke City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
DEFENDERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Danny Rose (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
MIDFIELDERS
Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Declan Rice (West Ham)
FORWARDS
Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (AFC Bournemouth).
