England's defensive options for Euro 2024 ranked | OneFootball

England have already booked their place at Euro 2024 which takes place next summer, but that doesn't mean Gareth Southgate can sit back and relax over the coming months. No, he'll be desperately trying to formulate the perfect squad to take to Germany in June.

As with every manager, the Three Lions boss certainly has his favourites but form and injuries and all sorts can impact upon who ends up getting their seat on the aeroplane. One other key issue is that he is only allowed to take 23 players. Squad sizes were increased from 23 to 26 at the last Euros, as there was a high risk of players unexpectedly becoming unavailable due to possible COVID-19 cases and quarantine measures. But that number has now been reduced.

The good news is that Southgate doesn't have a shortage of quality players to pick from but that may actually be giving him a bit of a headache. In the middle of the park, there are question marks over the likes of Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips, but in defence, the situation may be even more complicated. Indeed, there are a number of quality options at fullback but a few injuries to key players could be problematic, and it remains unclear who his favourite options are when it comes to having depth at centre-back.

With all that in mind, here at GIVEMESPORT, we thought we would assess England's current options in defence and sort them into five separate categories. The options are: 'No Chance', 'Misses Out', 'Outside Shout', 'Should Make The Squad', and 'Get Him On The Plane'. See what you think below!

No Chance

Rico Henry, Conor Coady, Tyrone Mings, Joe Gomez, Eric Dier

Unfortunately for the likes of Aston Villa and Brentford defenders Tyrone Mings and Rico Henry, injury will likely keep them from having a chance at getting into the England squad. The pair both suffered ACL injuries in the early stages of the current Premier League season and so may not even play again for their clubs until Euro 2024 has been and gone.

Both Conor Coady and Eric Dier have been trusted by Southgate in the past, and they actually have 59 England caps between them, but that all feels like a thing of the past. Coady has dropped into the Championship with Leicester City and Dier has lost his starting spot at Tottenham Hotspur since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou. With that being the case, it's hard to see them doing enough to work their way back into the national team set-up. As for Joe Gomez, it's never really felt as though he's been able to particularly impress Southgate and he hasn't played for the Three Lions since 2020. A lack of regular starts with Liverpool won't help his case.

Misses Out

Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Rico Lewis, Levi Colwill

Ezri Konsa actually received his first-ever call-up for the Three Lions in this international break after a fine start to the season with Aston Villa. He has started all 12 Premier League games, with the Villans fifth on the table. However, he only made this squad due to an injury to Lewis Dunk and it does feel as though there are quite a few options ahead of Konsa in the pecking order right now. Rico Lewis is another new face in the team – also due to an injury – but this summer's tournament may come just a little too soon for the right-back who is still only 18 years of age.

Chelsea's Levi Colwill certainly is a talented defender and after winning the European U21 Championship last summer, he is already on the right path to having a great career with the senior team one day. However, he still only has one cap, so might have to wait until after Germany 2024 before he can truly make his mark on the team.

Having established himself as an incredibly reliable option at either right-back or centre-back for Arsenal, Ben White certainly is good enough to be part of the England set-up. He was, of course, even in Southgate's squad for the 2022 World Cup but left mid-way through the tournament for unknown 'personal reasons'. He hasn't been picked for a squad since and it feels as though non-footballing reasons may well stop him from playing for the Three Lions again so long as Southgate remains in charge.

Outside Shout

Fikayo Tomori, Lewis Dunk, Ben Chilwell

As mentioned before, Dunk was in the current squad but had to pull out because of injury. Now getting good experience with Brighton playing in the Europa League, the 31-year-old isn't a name to rule out just yet. Even so, there are still a few other centre-backs who seem like more definite shouts to make the 23-man squad. Fikayo Tomori is another central defender, like Dunk, who is on the fringes of the squad. The AC Milan ace is in the current team and got minutes against Malta off the bench but it's not as though Southgate has jumped at the opportunity to integrate him so this call still hangs in the balance.

Ben Chilwell has played just six times in the league this term and has just 30 combined Premier League appearances spread across the two seasons before. He just hasn't been able to keep himself fit. With that being the case, question marks will always linger over his involvement but if he can keep himself injury-free in the build-up to the tournament, he'll certainly be in with a shot.

Should Make The Squad

Luke Shaw, Reece James, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire

Luke Shaw is a bit like Chilwell, in that he's a strong shout for the team as a reliable option at left-back but fitness issues could derail his chances. Even though life is perpetually chaotic for any Manchester United player right now, the 28-year-old has been one of his club's more reliable players in recent years and Southgate will likely include him in his 23-man squad. He did score in the final against Italy at Euro 2020, after all. Chelsea's Reece James is another injury-prone fullback (playing for an unstable club), who has more than enough quality to make the team, so long as he can just stay fit.

Marc Guehi is probably just ahead of the likes of Dunk and Tomori when it comes to the centre-back hierarchy and so his chances of making the squad are pretty good. So long as he can keep up the solid performances with Crystal Palace, you'd imagine he'll be involved in Germany next summer. As for Harry Maguire, if Southgate hasn't dropped him yet, then there's no reason to think he'll drop him before this tournament begins. What's more, the Man United ace has actually put together a bit of form at club level of late too and has four wins in his last five league starts for the Red Devils.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier

The good thing for Trent Alexander-Arnold is that, while he plays at right-back for Liverpool, and is known as a defender, Southgate appears to favour him as a midfield option – and he’s even listed as a midfielder on the official England football website. With that being the case, his versatility (alongside all of his other qualities) makes him an absolute shoo-in for this team. John Stones has proven himself to also be a top option in multiple positions for Manchester City but with England's lack of world-class central defensive options, you can almost guarantee he'll be a starter at this tournament at centre-back.

Depending on the fitness of Shaw and Chilwell, Kieran Trippier may even be asked to slot in at left-back as he has done on a number of occasions for England before. If not, his experience will come in handy for Southgate who can play him on the other flank at right-back or even as a wingback if required. Finally, we have Kyle Walker who had to be talked out of England retirement twice by Southgate. That tells you just how important he is for this team. The Man City fullback may as well start packing his bags for Germany already.