Gareth Southgate now has less than two weeks to prepare England for their European Championship opener against Serbia, but he can use the upcoming friendlies against Bosnia and Iceland to his advantage.
The Three Lions are one of the favourites to win the tournament and many believe that it will be Southgate’s last in charge.
So, if the 53-year-old wants to end his tenure on the high of leading England to their first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup, he must take the right 26 men on the plane to Germany.
Here are five players that Southgate must try out in England’s Euros warm-up games before deciding whether to include them in his final squad.
Jarrad Branthwaite
As well as teammate Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite is a key reason that Everton were able to avoid relegation in the 2023-24 Premier League season.
Only Sheffield United (35) scored fewer goals than the Toffees (40), demonstrating that it was instead their defensive record that led them to safety.
Branthwaite formed an excellent partnership with James Tarkowski at Goodison Park and there is no reason why the left-footer could not be the perfect partner for John Stones with England.
Joe Gomez
Southgate made the questionable decision to only include one natural left-back (Luke Shaw) in his preliminary 33-man squad for the Euros.
And, Shaw could even miss out through injury, so he must have a lot of faith in Kieran Trippier and Joe Gomez to play there if necessary.
Gomez often filled in at left-back for Liverpool in recent weeks but it would be a wise idea to see him fulfil that role in an England shirt before the start of the Euros.
Adam Wharton
Adam Wharton spent the first half of the season at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and yet he now has the chance to be a part of England’s team for a major tournament.
However, he fully deserves it, having excelled at Crystal Palace since making the £18 million move in the January transfer window.
An impressive performance in either of England’s warm-up games could see him beat Liverpool’s Curtis Jones to a seat on the plane.
Eberechi Eze
Like Wharton, Eberechi Eze enjoyed a fantastic end to the Premier League campaign under new manager Oliver Glasner at Selhurst Park.
Unfortunately for him, England have a plethora of attacking options, so he is highly unlikely to break into the starting eleven, but he could make an impact as a ‘super sub’.
Eze’s dribbling and creativity in the final third would be an asset to Southgate’s squad but he needs to prove himself over the next week first.
James Maddison
Six months ago, the only question over James Maddison was about how Southgate could fit him into the England lineup alongside Jude Bellingham.
However, after a poor second half of the season at Tottenham, he is now at risk of being left out of the squad altogether.
Likely to be competing with Eze for the backup attacking midfield spot, Maddison is another player that must show what he is capable of in England’s friendly matches.