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    25 brilliant players who won’t be playing at Euro 2024

    Euro 2024 is peering over the horizon and the deadline has now passed for the competing nations to submit their final squads.

    As such, we now know definitively which stars will be gracing Germany this summer and who won’t be.

    Here are 25 of the best players who won’t feature at Euro 2024, whether that’s due to injury, lack of selection or their country not qualifying. And to make it spicier, the order is completely randomised.

    Erling Haaland

    Haaland is staying home / Michael Regan/GettyImages

    Alright, the list for the most part is randomised, but we have to start with the biggest name who won’t be at Euro 2024, don’t we?

    Norway are in the midst of their own ‘golden generation’ and it would be a travesty if Erling Haaland doesn’t feature at a major tournament during his international career – his country’s last appearance came at Euro 2000.

    Reece James

    James’ availability tends to be a concern / Copa/GettyImages

    If it weren’t for Reece James‘ chronic injury problems, he would have accumulated far more than 16 England caps to date.

    Would you believe he’s only been named in the final squad for one major tournament?

    Alexander Isak

    Who put the ball in the back of the net? / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

    Sweden have quite the array of attackers with Dejan Kulusevski, Viktor Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga all regulars, but Alexander Isak is the crown jewel.

    How the hell did a team with such a dynamic forward line not qualify?

    Mats Hummels

    No place for Hummels / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages

    Mats Hummels’ heroic performances during Borussia Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final were probably enough to have earned him a spot in Germany’s squad, you’d have thought.

    Julian Nagelsmann didn’t think so.

    FC Bayern München v Eintracht Frankfurt - Bundesliga

    It’s a no for Guerreiro / Marcel Engelbrecht – firo sportphoto/GettyImages

    Usually a Portugal stalwart, Raphael Guerreiro’s injury-hit first season at Bayern Munich has seen him overlooked for the Selecao’s squad for Euro 2024.

    Marcus Rashford

    Rashford’s rejection came early / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/GettyImages

    This time last year, Marcus Rashford had nailed down the left wing spot in England’s attack and the competition wasn’t particularly close.

    12 months on, he couldn’t even make Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-player squad. Ouch.

    Martin Odegaard

    Odegaard has lived up to the hype at club level / Visionhaus/GettyImages

    You’d think Norway’s formula of having Martin Odegaard feed Haaland would be more than enough to win them games.

    Alas, it has not worked to great results thus far.

    Thibaut Courtois

    Courtois’ complicated season is over / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages

    It was the season from hell for Thibaut Courtois until its dramatic finale. He left pre-season after rupturing his ACL before tearing his meniscus late into recovery from that initial injury.

    Belgium agreed to grant Courtois the summer off for recovery, though he did return at the back-end of Real Madrid’s Champions League and La Liga-double winning campaign.

    Jack Grealish

    Grealish’s omission came as a shock / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages

    Jack Grealish is a beloved part of the England setup and news of his axing was not well-received by his teammates, but ultimately his poor form for Manchester City cost him a spot at Euro 2024.

    Jurrien Timber

    Timber made his return on the last day of the season / Catherine Ivill – AMA/GettyImages

    It’s rotten luck tearing your ACL only 50 minutes into the new season, but at least Jurrien Timber is on the mend again. The Netherlands could miss his useful versatility over in Germany.

    Destiny Udogie

    Udogie has impressed for Tottenham / Julian Finney/GettyImages

    For the first half of the 2023/24 season, there was no better Premier League left-back than Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie.

    Injury means Italy will be without his explosive dynamism this summer.

    Harry Maguire

    Legend says he drank the vodka AND the jager / Visionhaus/GettyImages

    Harry Maguire, thanks for turning into the world’s greatest ever centre-back at Euro 2020.

    That is all.

    Lucas Hernandez

    No Euros for you / Catherine Steenkeste/GettyImages

    It’s a minor miracle that Lucas Hernandez has even featured at three international tournaments with France given his woeful injury record over the years.

    James Maddison

    Back to the roast dinners it is / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages

    James Maddison’s omission from England’s final squad means not a single Spurs player will represent the Three Lions this summer.

    Ange Postecoglou’s Australian revolution is going to plan then.

    Pablo Martin Paez Gaviria 'Gavi'

    Gavi remains sidelined for the foreseeable future / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages

    It was bad enough for Courtois that he had to endure ACL and meniscus tears back-to-back. Poor Gavi suffered them at the same time while on Spain duty last November and isn’t due back until January 2025.

    Serge Gnabry

    Gnabry’s Bayern future is also uncertain / Diego Souto/GettyImages

    Another player disrupted by injury, Serge Gnabry has been in and out of both the Bayern Munich and Germany teams for years now.

    Pau Cubarsi

    Cubarsi’s stock is rising / Fran Santiago/GettyImages

    The silver lining for 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi is that although he was cut for Spain’s Euro 2024 squad, he is expected to be one of the standout names in their Olympic roster later this summer.

    Yeah, you’d still probably rather the Euros, wouldn’t you?

    David Alaba

    Alaba will still head to Germany / Christian Hofer/GettyImages

    Though injury has ruled David Alaba out of playing at Euro 2024, he will still accompany Austria to Germany as their ‘non-playing captain’.

    Not sure whether that’s a class gesture or makes me want to vomit.

    Jadon Sancho

    Sancho remains out in the cold from the England setup / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages

    Considering Jadon Sancho hasn’t been in an England squad since 2021, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that even his late-season exploits for Dortmund weren’t enough for him to break back into Southgate’s thinking.

    Christopher Nkunku

    Party’s over / Ryan Pierse/GettyImages

    Christopher Nkunku first agreed to join Chelsea shortly after the summer 2022 transfer window closed.

    This is probably not the situation he thought he would be in just under two years later.

    Lukas Hradecky

    Captain, leader, legend / Jürgen Fromme – firo sportphoto/GettyImages

    Lukas Hradecky, the captain of the greatest Bayer Leverkusen team ever.

    Finland, how dare you hold this legend back from Euro 2024 glory.

    Ian Maatsen

    Maatsen was cut by the Netherlands / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages

    Ronald Koeman revealed he informed Ian Maatsen he did not make the Netherlands’ final squad only two days before he took part in the Champions League final with Dortmund.

    Brutal.

    Leon Goretzka

    Goretzka was never favoured by Nagelsmann / Matthias Hangst/GettyImages

    Remember when Leon Goretzka came out of the coronavirus lockdown and all of a sudden he was a bodybuilder?

    Anyway, he’s not going to Euro 2024.

    Sandro Tonali

    Tonali remains suspended / Richard Sellers/Allstar/GettyImages

    Sandro Tonali’s ban for breaching betting regulations still has a few more months to run.

    Italy have, however, been strengthened by the return of Nicolo Fagioli, who received a suspension similar to Tonali’s.

    Benjamin White

    White has withdrawn himself from England contention / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

    England could really do with Ben White’s competence and versatility. It’s a great shame he and the coaching staff are at odds.

    dark. Next. Euro 2024 sweepstake. PLAY: Our Euro 2024 sweepstake (UK only)

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