Fast Results
Scores
England squad winners and losers: Jack Grealish's surprise omission, what's lacking on the left, Kalvin Phillips and Mason Greenwood inclusion
When Gareth Southgate announced his first England squad of 2020, it was the inclusions that took the headlines - but arguably the omissions should have.
Yes, it was newsworthy that Harry Maguire was named in the 24-man group despite an ongoing court case in Greece, that fledgling duo Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden received their first senior call-ups and that Kalvin Phillips made the squad despite never playing in the top flight.
And yet, the true storylines lay elsewhere - in who wasn't included in the press release.
To boil it down, there was no Jack Grealish, and there were no left-backs. Both of which, to be frank, really require some explanation.
Harsh on Grealish
Let's begin with Grealish.
Despite Villa's struggles at the wrong end of the Premier League table after winning promotion from the Sky Bet Championship in 2019, he looked every bit a quality top-flight player - something he had been challenged to prove.
"The difficulty is always, although we can see the quality, when the evidence of the opponent is a different level, that’s where it’s hard to directly correlate what that is going to look like at a level above," said Southgate in March 2019.
"He’s a player we know all about, he’s a player we track. But that last bit of evidence (playing in the Premier League) that could give you confidence to pick him at the moment we won’t see
"But as an ex-Villa man I hope it’s not too long before we do see it."
England squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eric Dier, Joe Gomez, Michael Keane, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse, Harry Winks
Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Mason Greenwood, Danny Ings, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling
The inclusion of Phillips despite a lack of top level experience is sure to add an extra sting, but even without that I'm not exactly sure what else Grealish was supposed to do over the past 12 months.
Only Kevin De Bruyne (136) created more than his 91 chances during 2019/20, which is some going in a team that finished fourth from bottom, and made all the more impressive by the fact opposing teams highlighted him as a threat, born out by the Villa skipper becoming the most-fouled player in a single Premier League season.
Rather than go into too much more forensic detail, Grealish's output is pretty well summed up by this astonishing stat: he created the fourth-most chances in Europe during 2019/20, more than Lionel Messi.
So what are the possible reasons for him being left out, even when fellow midfielders James Maddison, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson are absent through injury?
First of all, he was involved in a car crash when flouting lockdown restrictions in March, exacerbating the long-held, perhaps unfair, view of him as an unreliable character.
How much that incident, a distant memory to many but possibly in the forefront of the England manager's mind, has played a part in his exclusion only Southgate will know.
And, in truth, the plethora of options in that position make the 24-year-old that little bit easier to leave out should Southgate have even the most modest of reservations when it comes to Villa's talismanic midfielder.
Including Foden and Mason Mount is difficult to argue against, although they have enjoyed contrasting seasons as the former finished with aplomb and the latter tailed off.
Phillips, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse and Harry Winks are all more defensive, so it's not as if Grealish is competing with them for a spot.
Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have slipped from the reckoning since the 2018 World Cup, which makes the Grealish's omission even more bizarre - the squad is actually short of attacking midfielders.
It makes no sense unless Southgate is looking to change system and play 3-4-3, meaning he requires more defensively-minded midfielders, and more out-and-out attackers - which, in fairness, is how his squad is balanced.
But then you'd need players capable of playing wing-back, which brings me on to the second bizarre element of the squad.
No left-backs
In the crudest terms, this is how England's 24-man squad can be broken down: three keepers, three right-backs, five centre-backs, four defensive midfielders, two attacking midfielders, three central strikers and four adaptable forwards.
On the face of it, it certainly looks like a squad to play 3-4-3, only the glaring omission of left-sided players makes any formation prediction nigh-on impossible.
There are only three left-footed players (Tyrone Mings, Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood) in the list of 21 outfield names, none of which you would consider as an option to play left wing-back, or really even full-back. Mings did so many moons ago, but it's hard to imagine nowadays.
There are reasons for this shortage of course, with Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw both injured, the ageing - though in-form - Ashley Young playing in a more attacking role for Inter Milan, and Danny Rose's struggle to regain his best days.
But Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka has shown himself to be just as capable at left-back as when played in a wide attacking position, winning the Europa League Young Player of the Season award.
Elsewhere, a key part of Southampton's resurgence was 19-cap Ryan Bertrand - England's left-back in the lead up to the 2018 World Cup - but, beyond those two, we must confess that it is an undoubted problem area.
An array of right-backs and a shortage of left-backs means one will have to play on the wrong side against both Iceland and Denmark in the Nations League, or utility man Joe Gomez will be asked to plug the gap.
I suppose right-footed players play on the left wing all the time and we don't bat an eyelid, but it still feels odd.
A mixed bag
Just to round off, I'd have to say it's one of the strangest England squads I've seen.
Away from the issues already mentioned, never before can I remember there being such a range of abilities, form and experience in a group of players that is supposed to be the best England has to offer. Possibly due to injuries, holidays and more given the timing of the games, but it still baffles slightly.
It's hardly a squad that will strike fear into the best national sides in Europe, but it is one that contains players who will - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho and Raheem Sterling to name a few.
The sooner Southgate can get a settled group the better, however I wouldn't be surprised to see the final 23 named for next summer's Euros looking decidedly different to the squad named this week.