Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has revealed his profound disappointment at being sidelined from Euro 2024 due to injury.
Maguire, 31, and Manchester City forward Jack Grealish, both regular fixtures in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, have been omitted from the final 26-man roster.
The central defender sustained a calf injury in April, which prevented him from featuring in United’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City last month. Despite his best efforts, Maguire has not sufficiently recovered to participate in the tournament in Germany.
In a social media post, Maguire, who has earned 63 caps for England, expressed his regret at missing out on the Euros.
He wrote: “I’m devastated not to have been selected to represent England at the Euros this summer. Despite my best efforts, I’ve not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted.”
Alongside Maguire, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones, and Tottenham midfielder James Maddison have also been excluded from the squad.
“For me, representing England is the highest honor,” Maguire, initially part of Southgate’s 33-man preliminary squad, continued. “It means everything to me. If I can’t contribute as a player, I will support the team as a fan – along with the rest of the country. Go and win it boys.
“Next, I will return to the care of the Manchester United medical team to prepare for the next season.”
Earlier on Thursday, it was confirmed that Tottenham forward Maddison, 27, and Liverpool midfielder Jones, 23, had departed the training camp.
Expressing his disappointment on social media, Maddison remarked, “Devastated doesn’t quite capture it.” He added, “I still believed there would be a spot for me in a 26-man squad as I bring something unique and have been a consistent presence throughout the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in Germany.
“But the manager has made the decision, and I respect that. I’ll be back, without a doubt.”
England will commence their Euro 2024 campaign with a Group C fixture against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on June 16, followed by matches against Denmark on June 20 and Slovenia on June 25.
