As Euro 2024 approaches, the excitement and anticipation among football pundits and fans alike continues to build.
However, amidst the fervour, there are always a few surprising omissions that spark debate and discussion.
Spanish centre-back Sergio Ramos was one of the absentees who made headlines ahead of Euro 2020, and this year is no different, with several high-profile players left out of their national squads.
Some of these notable exclusions could have a big impact on the football bet UK markets, have raised eyebrows, and left fans scratching their heads.
So, let’s take a closer look at some of the most talked-about players who won’t be gracing the tournament this summer.
Thibaut Courtois – Belgium
Thibaut Courtois’ season has been marred with injury, as he suffered an ACL tear in August before sustaining another knee injury shortly after his return to training.
However, the 32-year-old made it back to full fitness in time for the end of the season and was pivotal in Real Madrid’s historic 15th Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Despite this, Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco has opted not to bring the former Chelsea star to Germany.
The pair have had previous public falling outs and this decision potentially indicates that there is no coming back for the goalkeeper.
Pedro Porro – Spain
Pedro Porro enjoyed an incredibly consistent campaign with Tottenham Hotspur this season, scoring three goals and setting up seven as he impressed as an attacking full-back.
His recent call-up to the Spanish National Team by Luis de la Fuente for the friendlies against South American sides Colombia and Brazil was a promising sign of inclusion for the Euros.
However, de la Fuente surprisingly opted to go with Dani Carvajal and Jesus Navas. The decision to choose the latter, who is now 38 years old, over Porro is especially surprising.
Manuel Locatelli – Italy
A key cog in Roberto Mancini’s European Championship-winning side three years ago, Manuel Locatelli finds himself without a spot in Italy’s squad for Euro 2024.
The 26-year-old was another to feature for his side in the recent round of friendlies in March, getting minutes in the wins against both Venezuela and Ecuador.
Yet, he’s not been selected by Luciano Spalletti, alongside other notable absentees like Ciro Immobile, Marco Verratti and Lorenzo Insigne.
Italy are rank outsiders if you’re looking to bet on Euro 2024, and they could struggle to get out of the group as they face Spain, Croatia and Albania.
Mats Hummels – Germany
Julian Nagelsmann’s cut-throat approach to his squad selection has to be respected, as the young coach didn’t shy away from leaving some big names out of the Germany squad.
Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka is perhaps the biggest absentee, but there is an argument that Mats Hummels did more than enough to feature in the Euros on home soil.
The veteran defender was key in Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final, keeping a clean sheet across 180 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain, and even scoring a crucial goal in France.
Hummels’ Dortmund teammates Julian Brandt, Marco Reus, and Karim Adeyemi were also left out, with no place on the wings for either Serge Gnabry or Timo Werner.
Marcus Rashford – England
For arguably the first time in his England tenure, Gareth Southgate appears to have picked his team on merit.
That means, however, that there is no place for some of the experienced players who have been a big part of the squad at the last few international tournaments.
Jordan Henderson was expected to miss out after moving to Ajax via Saudi Arabia, while Marcus Rashford is a huge absentee after flattering to deceive this season.
Rashford scored just seven times in 33 Premier League outings last season, 10 goals less than he managed in the 2022-23 campaign.
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Michael Olise’s absence in the France squad caused outrage amongst football fans, while Matt O’Riley didn’t make the Denmark side despite having a fantastic season for Celtic and looking set for a big move this summer.
