Gareth Southgate plays it safe with bigger challenges to come

It was an England squad announcement but not quite as we expected.

The group that the country hopes will bring football home from Euro 2020 this summer has been chosen. Or at least it provisionally has.

Gareth Southgate has named a 33-man party initially, a group that will be whittled down to the tournament maximum of 26 by 1 June.

With this the most unique of tournament build-ups and 12 players involved in European finals between now and the cut-off date, Southgate has chosen to play it safe.

He also has injury concerns to compensate for with the likes of Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips picking up knocks in recent weeks and Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson and Jack Grealish only just back to fitness after long lay-offs.

There are four debutants in all with Ben White, Ben Godfrey, Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale all getting the nod while Trent Alexander-Arnold is also involved as one of four right-backs chosen in this first crop.

There are more exciting selections too with Mason Greenwood recalled for the first time since being sent home after his debut in Iceland with fellow teenager Jude Bellingham also getting the call.

It all adds up to what looks a bloated group on paper, but one the man in charge feels he had no choice but to pick.

"I think our situation is more complicated than any other country at the moment," he said after upon the announcement of his choices. "We've known for a little while that of this 33, we've got 12 players still to play European finals this week so we were always going to need some additional players for the first week of our camp.

"Add to that we've got some injuries that are at various stages, a couple we have very little information about at the moment and a couple who are back into training or back into matches in Jordan and Jack but still not in training consistently, not training with the team in Jordan's case. We felt that more time is going to help us make better decisions.

"I've always said my preference would be to name the squad as a clean 26. We were able to do that ahead of Russia, we had standby players who knew their role and I think that's always a preferable situation but we've not got an ideal hand of cards this time.

"There are a lot of unkowns and information and evidence is really important when you're making decisions. We'll have a lot more in the next seven days and we'll be able to make the best possible decisions we can."

Southgate confirmed the Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City players in his squad are likely to get “five or six” days’ break before linking up with the rest of the group following the Europa and Champions League finals.

“When we have talked with the players about the experience of the past, to have a break with their families is a preference to going away with the team,” he added.

“We think that is invaluable time as our aim is to be here for nine games including the friendlies and that is going to be a period of time where, from the start of the tournament onwards, there is a fair chance we won’t be able to see our families so we want to get that first part right and get everybody psychologically fresh.

“So it does affect who we can play in those first two friendlies. We have got to make sure that physically we give the players the right load. We can’t overplay the players we have got in those friendlies and we have also got players who might only be ready for 45 minutes in those games, or perhaps a little longer.”

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One pressing question surrounding the squad is where Harry Kane will be playing his football next season with the England captain telling Tottenham he wants to leave the club in search of silverware.

Southgate, though, doesn't expect his skipper's future to be a concern for his side this summer.

"I don't need to talk about Harry's focus," he said. "He has got one goal with us and that's to win a European Championship. What is going on at his club is a matter for him and Tottenham. He has made some statements in the last few days but that is out of the way now and I think it is very unlikely transfer deals will be done while we are away.

"We are not going to stop phone ringing and cannot control conversations going on in private. Most deals are done after tournaments or in the September, I would expect any deals to be done after the tournament."

Southgate also confirmed Newcastle assistant Graeme Jones will replace Allan Russell on his coaching staff for the tournament.

Russell was working as a striking coach but left earlier in May over the circumstances surrounding a road traffic incident in which he was involved last year.

"We won't make a like-for-like replacement in that sort or area but I'm disappointed for Allan and the situation that has occurred," Southgate added.

"But we are pleased to bring Graeme Jones in, who is obviously working with Newcastle at the moment. He has got fantastic experiences of working with Roberto Martinez as an assistant manager.

"So I am really pleased with Steve Holland, with Graeme and with Martyn Margetson in there, who has been to semi-finals with us and with Wales, and Chris Powell. We've got a really strong coaching team and we're really looking forward to the challenge."

The first challenge will be cutting this squad down by seven before next Monday. It's the first of many to come in a summer that Southgate hopes will be one to remember.