With just two weeks to go until the opening of the most eagerly awaited Euros in a generation, the anticipation is growing day by day and, before we know it, hosts Germany will kick off Euro 2024 against Scotland in Munich.
The squad lists have been circulated, and UEFA has settled on a date of 7th June for the final player lists to be submitted. But while there are some big issues to be settled among the leading nations, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has gone early and trimmed his squad already.
The latest Euro 2024 betting odds pitch the Netherlands as seventh favourites to win the title, so a quarter-final finish is on the cards, and the Oranje could be dangerous dark horses. At 10th in the FIFA World Rankings, Koeman’s team is ahead of Germany and South American giants Uruguay.
The Netherlands are ready to go, but there are three surprising omissions from Koeman’s squad after the final cut.
Left wing-back Ian Maatsen has missed out, and that has raised some eyebrows after the Chelsea star has enjoyed a superb campaign on loan with Borussia Dortmund. He has forced his way into Edin Terzic’s team and will almost certainly start in the Champions League final on Saturday.
A raiding wing-back Maatsen can also play further forward and, as he proved on loan at Burnley last season, he is a dangerous attacking talent. He has starred for the Oranje at U21 level and, now 22, he is ready to take the step up.
But Koeman has left Maatsen out alongside Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber. Some Netherlands fans have taken to social media to express their surprise, saying: “No Maatsen, no Timber, it’s so over.”
A bit melodramatic I’d say, but Netherlands fans clearly rate Maatsen, and we’ll have to wait and see if Koeman has got his decision right.
The Oranje made hard work of qualification, relying on a 1-0 win over Ireland to make the showcase finals, so the manager has little room for error in the eyes of some supporters.
The other big name missing from the Oranje line-up is Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon, who will sit the tournament out with a hamstring injury.
England sweating on Shaw and Maguire
The pressure on England to succeed is as heavy as ever and, here at SBOTOP, we’ll be following the Three Lions closely as they vie with France and hosts Germany as the three favourites to win Euro 2024.
With the 7th June deadline to trim his squad from 33 to 26, England manager Gareth Southgate has two injuries in his in-tray, and he will be watching the progress of the Manchester United pair of Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire very closely in the coming days.
Shaw, in particular, is a concern as it is painfully clear to Red Devils fans how their team suffered during his periods out with injury this term.
The left-back has been a big player for the Three Lions. He scored a second-minute opener in the Euro 2020 final before Leonardo Bonucci levelled for Italy, and the Azzurri eventually won on penalties.
Much like Maatsen is for Dortmund, Shaw is a skilled defender and a real threat going forward. But he has missed much of the campaign with a muscle injury and hasn’t featured for the Red Devils since February. He has admitted he is not yet 100-per cent, so Southgate has a big decision to make.
Centre-back Harry Maguire has been in and out during the 2023/24 season and a muscle injury kept him out of the Red Devils’ last four games. He has struggled for form for a couple of seasons and has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, but Southgate is a big fan of Maguire’s, so he’ll keep tabs on him over the next few days.
While he has been prone to errors at the back, Maguire is an aerial threat in the opposition penalty area, so the United player could still be a good squad man.
There are no such worries for a younger Red Devil as Europe is waiting for the arrival of Kobbie Mainoo, who has had a spectacular breakout season and has taken Jordan Henderson’s central midfield slot.
No Cash for Poland
In other Euro 2024 news, UEFA has recently confirmed an increase in squad size from 23 to 26, and that has given the strongest nations an advantage. But for the emerging and smaller countries, finding 26 players to compete with the likes of England is a tough ask.
And Poland’s challenge has become more difficult following the news that Aston Villa wide man Matty Cash has been ruled out having missed the last few weeks of the Premier League campaign with a calf injury.
Cash is a big loss to Poland boss Michal Probierz, who has the task of trying to match his nation’s quarter-final appearance at the 2016 Euros. But any team with Robert Lewandowski in its ranks has a chance.
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