- Palmer, Lewis and Konsa earn first senior call-ups
- Trio replace the injured Maddison, Wilson and Dunk
- Tournament favourites England start preparation for finals
Three new faces have earned their spots in the England squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers, following the unfortunate withdrawals of James Maddison, Callum Wilson, and Lewis Dunk due to injuries. Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Ezri Konsa get their first senior call-ups.
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In-form trio rewarded with call-up
Gareth Southgate has called up Chelsea forward Palmer and Manchester City defender Lewis, both making the leap from the England Under-21 squad to the senior side. Palmer, 21, played a key role in the England U21 team’s triumph at the European Championship this summer and has been in impressive form for Chelsea, notably scoring a penalty against his former club Manchester City in a thrilling 4-4 Premier League draw on Sunday. Eighteen-year-old Rico Lewis, part of City’s Treble-winning side last season, has also earned his place in the senior squad.
Additionally, 26-year-old Aston Villa defender Konsa, a member of the England Under-20 World Cup-winning team in 2017, has been called up. Konsa has been contributing to Aston Villa’s strong Premier League campaign, with the team currently sitting in fifth place.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham’s availability for the upcoming qualifiers is in doubt due to a shoulder injury, with further assessments scheduled.
The England squad is set to face Malta on November 17 and North Macedonia on November 20 in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. The majority of the squad is expected to report to St George’s Park on Monday for further assessments.
Betting Implications
It’s worth noting that England have already secured qualification for the European Championship in Germany next June and July after a convincing 3-1 win against Italy in October. The final two group games will allow Southgate to experiment with his squad. Although the England boss has stayed incredibly loyal to his squad, the inclusion of the three new faces show that the door is not necessarily closed. Bettors will need to monitor the progress of new players and more established stars if they are thinking of having a punt on England to win the Euros.
Currently England are the bookies favourites to go one better than Euro 2020 where they were runners-up to Italy. At the time of writing bet365 have Southgate’s side priced at 4/1 ahead of France, 9/2, Germany 13/2 and Spain 7/1.
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Check out out preview for England vs Malta.
