UEFA is set to make a huge rule change for the Euro 2024 tournament next year and it could provide some difficulty for Gareth Southgate.
England were confirmed as Group C winners and secured their spot in the showpiece with an impressive 3-1 comeback win over Italy at Wembley.
The Euro 2020 winners went 1-0 up through Gianluca Scamacca but Harry Kane struck twice either side of a fine goal from Marcus Rashford to clinch a brilliant victory.Although they have already done their job, the Three Lions have two more qualifying fixtures remaining against Malta and North Macedonia in November.
Southgate will already be planning his squad for what could be his final tournament at the helm and is sure to have some difficult decisions given the quality of the squad.
The 53-year-old dropped Eddie Nketiah and Fikayo Tomori from the squad together for the Italy game and there will be some unhappy players when the time comes for him to name his group for the Euros.
Last time around, at the rearranged Euro 2020 tournament, England and other participating nations were allowed to pick 26 players.
The increase squad size was signed off by UEFA because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it had.
FIFA decided to adopt the exact same approach for the first ever winter World Cup given the strain on players.Raheem Sterling, James-Ward-Prowse, Nick Pope and Ben White were not picked in the latest squad, while Bukayo Saka had to pull out through injury.England are unbeaten in qualifying and after reaching the final last time out, will be one of the favourites.
“We have to accept that," Southgate said.
“Pressure comes when expectation is different to reality. The reality is we are going to be one of the teams capable of winning. We are comfortable with that.”
The draw for the tournament takes place in Hamburg on December 2, with England already in the hat along with Austria, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Scotland and Turkey.
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