Gareth Southgate will name his final 26-man England squad for Euro 2024 on Saturday, with several players fighting for their places in the warm-up friendlies against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland.
Defence is a particular area of concern, and Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa is among those vying for a spot. Konsa made 50 appearances for Villa last season, helping them secure a top-four Premier League finish. He can play both centre-back and right-back, a versatility that could prove valuable.
Konsa faces competition from Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Brighton's Lewis Dunk. Branthwaite impressed for Everton, while Dunk had a poor performance in March and is also dealing with a knee injury. Southgate may select only two or three centre-backs from this group.
In midfield, Liverpool's Curtis Jones and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton are hoping to impress. Jones scored five goals and added three assists for Liverpool, while Wharton has been a revelation since joining Palace from Blackburn in January. Eberechi Eze, also of Palace, is pushing for an attacking spot after scoring 11 goals and providing six assists last season.
Newcastle's Anthony Gordon, with 12 goals and 11 assists, is another contender. The final squad will be announced after the friendlies, with seven players set to be cut from the current 33-man training group.
