Defending European champions Italy and tournament favourites England finalized their respective 26-man squads for Euro 2024 on Thursday, but not without a series of notable omissions from their selected rosters.
England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed the absence of Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Curtis Jones, James Trafford and Jarrad Branthwaite ahead of his side’s friendly tilt with Iceland on Friday.
Jarrell Quansah and Harry Maguire will also not be travelling to Germany for the Three Lions’ opening contest against Serbia on June 16, with the latter failing to recover from a calf injury sustained in April.
Italy, on the other hand, will look to contest its way out of a difficult Group B without the likes of goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, midfielder Samuele Ricci and winger Riccardo Orsolini, head coach Luciano Spalletti confirmed on Thursday.
Manuel Locatelli and striker Ciro Immobile will also be absent from the Azzurri lineup next weekend in Germany. Both were members of Italy’s title-winning campaign that saw the nation remarkably edge out Spain and England en route to hoisting a second European title.
Here is a look at some of the biggest snubs from Thursday’s final roster announcement for Euro 2024.
BIGGEST OMISSIONS
Jack Grealish, England
Coming off a disappointing spell with title-winning Manchester City in 2024, recording just a single assist after putting up seven in 2023, Grealish will not be returning to Southgate’s European Championship plans this summer.
Adding a measly three goals through 20 matches as part of City’s thwarting attack this season, Grealish’s inability to perform, particularly within infectious scoring environments, has led to his dismissal from England’s squad despite suiting up for the Three Lions in 2021.
Going without a single tally in the team’s qualifier and failing to tag the scoresheet during his side’s finals run at the last European Championship, Grealish was hanging on to his position by a thread on the national stage, with the surprise coming through his name value over anything else.
Riccardo Orsolini, Italy
Coming off a terrific campaign that saw the 27-year-old find the back of the net 10 times for a head-turning Bologna club, Orsolini’s domestic success was unable to garner him a place in this summer’s European competition.
Domestically, Orsolini trailed only Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca for the most goals listed on Italy’s finalized forward core, even potting a pair of goals in seven career appearances for his home nation.
The Italian would have been a great complement to Spalletti’s attack on the flank with his dynamic speed and ability to void defenders. If the Azzurri begin to struggle with manufacturing goals in the early stages of this month’s tournament, do not be surprised to see Orsolini’s name begin to circulate on what could have been.
Ciro Immobile, Italy
The defending champions will be venturing their first European Championship since 2012 without Immobile after the forward failed to make his name on the provisional roster, let alone the finalized version on Thursday.
Immobile, 34, has struggled to regain his form from previous European Championships following a series of injuries that have slowly begun derailing the Italian’s production.
Despite finding the scoresheet in September’s European qualifier against North Macedonia, Immobile has not appeared in eight matches since for the national squad, with availability being the Italian’s biggest challenge to overcome and ultimately leaving him on the outside looking in on manifesting a title defence.
Italy will kick off its tournament on June 15 against Albania, while England gets set to open its quest for a first-ever European Championship against Serbia on June 16.
The 2024 European Championship begins on June 14 in Germany.