Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has broken his silence after being excluded from England’s preliminary squad for Euro 2024.
England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that Rashford’s poor form this season was the primary reason behind his omission from the Three Lions squad for the upcoming European Championship in Germany.
Rashford was left out of Southgate’s 33-man provisional squad, which will be trimmed to 26 players on June 7. England is set to play two friendlies before heading to Germany.
Rashford took to Instagram to express his support for the team, posting on his story: “Wishing Gareth (Southgate) and the boys all the best for the up and coming tournament,” alongside a picture of the England squad announcement.
Man United teammates Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Kobbie Mainoo were included in England’s Euro 2024 training squad. Shaw faces a race against time to be fit for the competition after missing the final three months of the season due to injury.
Southgate chose to include players like Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka in his attacking lineup for the tournament.
Southgate explained his decision, saying, “These are, of course, difficult calls. You are talking about very good players who have been an important part of what we have done over a number of years. With Marcus, I just feel that other players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons. It’s as simple as that.”
This will be the first major tournament Rashford has missed for England since the 2014 World Cup. The 26-year-old has had a challenging season with Man United, scoring only seven goals and providing two assists in 33 Premier League appearances.
The Red Devils were also knocked out of the Uefa Champions League and finished outside the European qualification spots.
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