Trent Alexander-Arnold named in England’s 26-man squad Southgate said: “I think every squad [selection] is difficult because we have a lot of talented players in this country.
“The most difficult thing [this time] is not being able to take players who have been with us in previous matches and are such good professionals, so I know what a disappointment it is for them, at the moment, not to be going to a major championship.”
Southgate added: “The most complex part has been those injuries and whether we should take the chance on people – players like Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire not being quite where they normally are.
“With the experience that they have, we think we can get them to a point where they have an involvement in the tournament and it’s worth taking them – especially as we have an extended squad of 26.”
