MX23RW : Friday, April 26 12:45:03| >> :600:161272:161272:

Who could replace Trent Alexander-Arnold for England at Euro 2020?

Who could replace Trent Alexander-Arnold for England at Euro 2020?
© Reuters
James Ward-Prowse, Ollie Watkins and Jesse Lingard are among the five candidates who missed out on the 26-man squad.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold ruled out of the European Championship with a thigh injury, England manager Gareth Southgate now has a decision to make on who is called up in his place.

The Liverpool defender pulled up late on in Wednesday's win over Austria and the Football Association announced on Thursday he would miss the finals.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the five outfield options – originally cut from the provisional squad – who are available to be drafted in by Southgate.

Ben Godfrey (Everton, age 23, caps 1, goals 0)

Godfrey's versatility may have made him a tempting choice for the Three Lions boss, who would have been aware of the defender due to his rise through the England age groups. A regular with the Under-21s, he played twice at their European Championship in March and caught the eye across several positions for Everton. His lack of experience compared to his rivals at centre-back would have counted against him but he did make his debut in the recent friendly against Austria.

Ben White (Brighton, 23, 1, 0)

The 23-year-old was a surprise inclusion in Southgate's bigger group, but was rewarded for an impressive debut season in the top flight. The centre-back had also impressed during Leeds' promotion-winning campaign two years ago, with his flexibility viewed as a big asset. While White is adept in a back three or back four, it was always expected this tournament was a little too early and, like Godfrey, made his bow off the bench in the Austria win.

James Ward-Prowse (Southampton, 26, 7, 1)

James Ward-Prowse scored for England against San Marino in March
James Ward-Prowse scored for England against San Marino in March (Carl Recine/PA)

The dead-ball specialist has been in and around the England camp since Southgate took over but was not taken to the World Cup three years ago and has missed out again. While the Saints captain scored during the fixtures back in March, he has ultimately paid the price for Jordan Henderson's return to fitness and the emergence of Kalvin Phillips of Leeds.

Jesse Lingard (Manchester United, 28, 28, 4)

A successful loan with West Ham got the playmaker's season back on track and he earned a place in Southgate's most recent squad, but the national team manager did admit the United ace was "lucky" to be involved with injuries elsewhere opening up a space. While Lingard finished the campaign with nine goals, too much competition in the attacking areas has seen him drop out.

Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa, 25, 2, 1)

Perhaps the unluckiest of the seven to miss out with England only taking two centre forwards, Watkins enjoyed a memorable international debut in March when he netted against San Marino and struck 14 times during his first campaign in the Premier League. But the former Brentford striker has not made the cut with more versatile options in attack selected instead.

ID:450202: cacheID:450202:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:21492:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Jack Grealish pictured for England on June 2, 2021
Read Next:
Keane compares Jack Grealish to Ronaldo
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool34228475344174
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!