Gareth Southgate is dotting the i's and crossing the t's on the list of players he plans to take to the European Championship.
The England manager will name a provisional squad of around 30 players at 2pm on Tuesday, with less than a month before the start of Euro 2024 - potentially his final tournament in charge of the Three Lions. After friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland, Southgate will whittle down his list to anywhere between 23 and 26 players in time for UEFA's June 7 deadline for squads to be confirmed.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and other mainstays can already start packing their bags, with their places assured barring injury. For some, however, that all-important phone call from Southgate will make or break their summer.
With that in mind, let's predict the 26 England players who'll be on the plane to Germany.
Goalkeepers
Starting between the sticks, we know that Everton hero Jordan Pickford is a cert for a call-up, having played every minute of tournament football under Southgate. Aaron Ramsdale is likely to serve as the No.2, just as he's done at Arsenal season.
The battle for third-choice is where it gets interesting, as Nick Pope and Dean Henderson face a straight shootout. Pope made his first appearance for Newcastle since December on Sunday following a long-term shoulder injury, while Henderson has covered for injured Crystal Palace team-mate and previous England international Sam Johnstone to become the Eagles' first-choice since the end of March.
Given Pope's lack of games and Henderson's superior distribution, we're going for the former Manchester United prospect.
Pickford, Ramsdale, Henderson
Defenders
The big question mark here is Luke Shaw. Absent since February with a hamstring injury, the left-back is facing a race against time to be fit for the FA Cup final, as United face Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday.
Should Shaw miss out then that'd open the door to more left-sided defenders, with Ben Chilwell likely to be England's starter in the role. Newcastle captain Kieran Trippier than play there, too, as can Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and another candidate in Chelsea 's Levi Colwill.
The right-back situation is a healthier one, with Kyle Walker and Reece James both fit as well as 'midfielder' Trent Alexander-Arnold. James' lack of minutes for Chelsea, however, had put his place in jeopardy, as Southgate also didn't select him for the 2022 World Cup amid fitness concerns.
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Centre-backs Harry Maguire and Lewis Dunk are both currently injured but that shouldn't see them ruled out. Marc Guehi and John Stones are just about locked in, meaning that it could be between Brighton skipper Dunk and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite for the final spot.
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Since Southgate called Branthwaite up in March while Dunk - who's currently nursing a knee injury - struggled that same week after being given a start in England's 2-2 with Belgium, it's a close one to call. Branthwaite can be blooded in during the Three Lions' pair of warm-up games and thanks to him also being left-footed, we're predicting that Southgate will give the 21-year-old some tournament experience.
Walker, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Gomez, Guehi, Branthwaite, Chilwell
Midfielders
Pretty straightforward, this. Bellingham, Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice and Conor Gallagher are all guaranteed to be selected, while Jordan Henderson, James Maddison and Kobbie Mainoo are set to join them.
Former Southgate favourite Kalvin Phillips failed to revitalise his career with his half-season loan at West Ham, while Palace's Adam Wharton could've done with experiencing a camp earlier in the year like Branthwaite and Mainoo.
One of his Palace team-mates, however - Eberechi Eze - has already experienced life in the England senior squad and his end-of-season form may well be enough for a call-up. It'd also be fitting given that Eze missed out on Euro 2020 after suffering an Achilles injury the very same day as Southgate told him that he'd be in his provisional squad.
Bellingham, Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Gallagher, Henderson, Maddison, Mainoo, Eze
Forwards
Now for the final seven spots. Kane, Foden, Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins can all be considered locks, and there'd be a national uproar if Cole Palmer didn't make it.
Jack Grealish's place could be in doubt but it's hard to imagine an England camp without his camaraderie and quality these days. That leaves a decision over Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen and Ivan Toney.
Although he's naturally a winger, Gordon's turn as a false nine in England's under-21 Euro triumph last summer combined with a strong season at Newcastle stands him in good stead, while form works completely against Rashford and Toney.
United forward Rashford can also play both out wide and centrally, whereas Toney would simply be a No.9. The Brentford striker does have one thing in his favour, though, as he's a specialist at penalties and scored his first England goal in March from the spot.
West Ham's lacklustre end to the season has also been the hype around Bowen die down, having never found a consistent role under Southgate two years after his debut. Ultimately, we're backing Southgate to trust the England pathway and choose by the far the most in-form of the four.
Kane, Foden, Saka, Watkins, Palmer, Grealish, Gordon
England's predicted 26-man squad for Euro 2024
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Ramsdale, Henderson
Defenders: Walker, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Gomez, Guehi, Branthwaite, Chilwell
Midfielders: Bellingham, Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Gallagher, Henderson, Maddison, Mainoo, Eze
Forwards: Kane, Foden, Saka, Watkins, Palmer, Grealish, Gordon
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