A UEFA ‘loophole’ could still give Jack Grealish a chance to represent England in UEFA Euro 2024. The Three Lions’ head coach Gareth Southgate recently announced his 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament which is set to kick off in Germany later this month.
Crystal Palace duo Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton have found themselves in Southgate’s squad while the likes of Manchester City’s Jack Grealish and Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison missed the cut.
Despite Southgate confirming his 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024, there is still a chance he can make changes to his squad in extraordinary circumstances which could open the door for the likes of Grealish and Maddison to join the England national team in Germany.
This relates to Article 48 of UEFA’s official tournament regulations, which refers to squad selections.
UEFA’s guidelines reveal that players can be replaced if they ‘become seriously injured or ill’ – but only if the national team’s doctor and a member of the UEFA Medical Committee confirm that the problem is ‘sufficiently serious to prevent him/them from taking part’ in UEFA Euro 2024.
So, any player who has been asked by Southgate that he would not be traveling to Germany could still be named in England’s squad if there is a serious injury or illness to one of the members of his final 26-man squad.
However, a call-up for Grealish is unlikely as he has flown out to Dubai for his summer holidays. However, if Southgate needed him, he might cut his vacation short to join his national team in Germany.
Grealish managed to lift the Premier League title with Manchester City last season after putting in a run of impressive displays for them in the final third. The 28-year-old has found the back of the net three times and picked up three assists in 36 appearances for the Mancunian giants in the previous campaign across all competitions.
Only time will tell whether Grealish is required to cut his holidays short to link up with the Three Lions’ national team later this month.
