Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has expressed his profound disappointment at missing Euro 2024 due to an injury. The 31-year-old, alongside Manchester City forward Jack Grealish, has not been included in Gareth Southgate's final 26-man England squad.
Maguire has been sidelined by a calf injury sustained in April, which also saw him miss United’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last month. Despite being a regular in the national team with 63 caps, his recovery has not progressed sufficiently.
In a social media post, Maguire confirmed his absence from the tournament in Germany. "I'm devastated not to have been selected to play for 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."
Several other players have also been left out of the squad. Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Liverpool's Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones, and Tottenham midfielder James Maddison will not participate in the tournament.
Maguire, part of Southgate's initial 33-man selection, emphasized the significance of representing England. "For me, representing England is the highest honour. It means everything to me. If I can’t help the team as a player, I will support them as a fan – along with the rest of the country. Go and win it boys. Next, I will return to the supervision of the Manchester United medical team in order to prepare for next season."
Tottenham forward Maddison and Liverpool midfielder Jones also left the training camp earlier on Thursday. Maddison shared his feelings of disappointment on social media, stating, "devastated doesn't quite cut it." He added, "I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different and had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in Germany. But the manager has made the decision and I have to respect that. I’ll be back, I have no doubt."
England will commence their Euro 2024 campaign with a Group C match against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on 16 June, followed by games against Denmark on 20 June and Slovenia on 25 June.
