England v Bosnia LIVE: Result and reaction from Euro 2024 warm-up as Kane and Alexander-Arnold add late goals
England 3-0 Bosnia: A scrappy England performance was salvaged by Kane and Alexander-Arnold late on after Cole Palmer’s penalty
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Trent Alexander-Arnold capped an impressive individual display with a tremendous volley as England beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 in their latest Euro 2024 warm-up friendly.
Preparations for this summer’s shot at silverware stepped up at St James’ Park as players got a chance to stake their claim for a place on the plane, or even a starting role against Serbia.
Cole Palmer’s spot-kick was followed by an excellent Alexander-Arnold effort and late Harry Kane goal on a night that provided manager Gareth Southgate with plenty of food for thought ahead of Friday’s final squad submission.
Eberechi Eze and Palmer produced positive displays on their first England starts, with the latter opening his international account after Ezri Konsa, another impressive performer, was fouled in the box. Alexander-Arnold did well on his latest audition in midfield but had reverted to a more familiar right-back role when he scored a superb late volley that substitute Kane added to.
Relive all the action from England versus Bosnia below:
England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane?
Jude Bellingham
The 20-year-old has quickly elevated himself to be one of England’s essential players. He is consistently producing outstanding performances both for his country and his club, Real Madrid, racking up goals and assists after driving runs from midfield.
Declan Rice
Rice has been one of Arsenal’s outstanding players this season, and his importance at international level has grown immeasurably over the past few years to the point where he is crucial to how England play. After Kane, Rice is arguably England’s hardest player to replace.
Phil Foden
Foden enjoyed his best season yet in a Manchester City shirt, becoming a talisman for the club that delivers time and again. His velcro control is unique in the national squad and Southgate’s only conundrum is where to fit Foden’s attacking talents into a team containing Bellingham, Saka and more.
Bukayo Saka
Saka is fast becoming a senior England player despite being only 22, and is set for a key role at Euro 2024. He has produced another excellent season for Arsenal, with 20 goals and 14 assists from 47 games, and Saka will be first choice on England’s right wing in Germany.
Harry Kane
England’s captain remains their talisman on the pitch, both with his leadership and with his goals in a record-breaking debut season at Bayern Munich, even if it was also a trophyless one. The only concern is fitness after a back injury prevented Kane from playing in Bayern’s final game of the season.
England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane and who will miss out?
A closer look at which England players are heading to Germany for Euro 2024 and who might miss out on the final squad
England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane?
While some players will still be worried about earning their place on the plane to Germany, there are several who are certain to be in the squad come 8 June.
So who is definitely on the plane?
Jordan Pickford
The Everton goalkeeper has been England’s No 1 for a long time and that position is safe, given the way his closest challenger, Aaron Ramsdale, was usurped by David Raya at Arsenal this season.
John Stones
The Manchester City defender has been a stalwart for Southgate over the years, integral to deep runs at the 2018 World Cup and the last Euros, and the lack of centre-back alternatives only strengthens his position in the squad.
Harry Maguire
The Manchester United defender is one of Southgate’s most trusted players and he remains the most likely partner for Stones at Euro 2024, in what will be their fourth tournament together. His calf injury is not expected to deny him a place on the plane.
Kyle Walker
Experience, recovery pace and an ability to play on the right of a back three all make the Manchester City captain an essential part of Southgate’s plans.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold has struggled to get games for England at right-back, but a switch into midfield has seen him more involved for his country. The Liverpool vice-captain offers unique creativity as well as pinpoint set-piece delivery and could be an option alongside Rice as a deep-lying midfielder.
England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane and who will miss out?
A closer look at which England players are heading to Germany for Euro 2024 and who might miss out on the final squad
England vs Bosnia-Herzegovina – who is fighting for a place on the plane?
Several players are almost guaranteed a place on the plane to Germany, but will be fighting for a starting place before the tournament begins.
Among these is Chelsea starlet Cole Palmer, who capped an impressive Premier League campaign by winning the young player of the season award.
His league form would usually be deserving of a starting berth, but such is the form of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham that the Chelsea man will likely not start (at least at first), whether on the wing or more centrally.
Kobbie Mainoo is fresh off the back of scoring the winner in the FA Cup final, but he is another player who will be fighting for both his place on the plane and potentially a starting position. With Rice and Bellingham almost guaranteed to start in midfield, there is one starting place up for grabs between Mainoo, Adam Wharton and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.
The last worries come in defence, where injuries to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have cast doubts over whether either will be fit to start the opening game against Serbia on 16 June.
This means there are gaps in the squad for adaptable defenders such as Ezri Konsa and Joe Gomez, who can play in a range of positions across the back.
Centre-backs Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guehi and Jarell Quansah have all had good seasons, but there will likely only space for two of them behind Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kieran Tripper and the aforementioned Manchester United men.
England may be set for some debutants in Newcastle
Five of the players called up into the 33-man squad are uncapped so far.
Burnley ‘keeper James Trafford, who is the likeliest goalkeeper to be dropped from the squad, will hope to make his first appearance.
Defenders Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah are both uncapped too, with the Everton man looking more likely to potentially gain a place in the tournament squad.
The final two uncapped players are Curtis Jones and Adam Wharton, who it seems like are competing for one spot in midfield. Liverpool midfielder Jones has featured heavily for England U21s in the past, with Wharton having taken great strides in his career since joining Crystal Palace from Blackburn in January.
Prediction & Odds
Even a depleted or experimental England side should have enough to win the game, with the away side not taking part in this summer’s European championships. Expect wholesale changes as Southgate aims to make the final decisions on his squad for the tournament, but a straightforward England win nonetheless. England 3-1 Bosnia.
Odds
England win 1/10
Draw 6/1
Bosnia win 16/1
Predicted Line-ups
ENG: Ramsdale, Walker, Guehi, Branthwaite; Trippier; Rice, Mainoo, Eze; Foden, Kane, Palmer.
BOS: Sehic; Ahmedhodzic; Hadzikadunic, Kolasinac; Dedic, Cimirot, Krunic, Gazibegovic; Hajradinovic; Dzeko, Demirovic.
Team News
Southgate has confirmed that six players will miss the game, with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham unavailable having won played in the Champions League final on 1 June. He’ll join the squad on 8 June.
Manchester United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw are still nursing injuries as they battle to be fit in time for the opening match of Euro 2024 (and indeed, to make the final squad). Manchester City’s John Stones is unavailable having joined the squad late.
Anthony Gordon is recovering from an injury, and Southgate has said that Saka will be also be rested.
Who should start for England vs Bosnia in Euro 2024 audition - Cole Palmer, Joe Gomez, Ollie Watkins?
With Jordan Pickford an automatic choice in goal, the three behind him are not just vying for two plane tickets, but the right to be his go-to backup in-tournament. In defence, the alternatives at full-back must be decided, especially on the left given Luke Shaw’s ongoing injury issue, while four centre-backs in the squad tally just seven caps between them, with two as yet untested.
Further forward, Southgate must choose whether he wants to see Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold in midfield dovetailing with Declan Rice before the tournament starts, or if it’s more important to give other fringe options a chance to succeed and earn a place in the squad, while the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze will be hoping for a go with Anthony Gordon currently out with an injury. Competition for places in the wide areas of attack are fierce - and then there’s the Harry Kane understudy to fully decide on.
Read below for The Independent’s thoughts on who might start tonight.
Who should start for England v Bosnia in Euros audition - Palmer, Gomez, Watkins?
At least one centre-back spot, a midfield place and the starting options without the likes of Harry Kane are all key decisions for Gareth Southgate tonight
Who should start for England vs Bosnia in Euro 2024 audition - Cole Palmer, Joe Gomez, Ollie Watkins?
England have just two matches this week before Euro 2024 is upon them - with Gareth Southgate still needing to refine his squad and decide which seven he is going to cut from his preliminary group.
The first of those warm-up friendlies takes place on Monday night with the Three Lions in action against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a host of absentees meaning spots are definitely up for grabs if players impress when handed the chance to start.
But who should get the nod?
Who should start for England v Bosnia in Euros audition - Palmer, Gomez, Watkins?
At least one centre-back spot, a midfield place and the starting options without the likes of Harry Kane are all key decisions for Gareth Southgate tonight
England vs Bosnia and Herzegovina LIVE
Recent results haven’t been great for Southgate and Co - no wins in the last three.
Those latest games did come after a run of eight wins in nine, to be fair, which spanned most of qualifying. But of late it has been average at best: 1-1 away to North Macedonia, a 1-0 defeat to Brazil and a 2-2 draw with Belgium.
Only one goal in those three matches scored by an England player in open play, that being Jude Bellingham’s late equaliser in the last match.
Southgate will be hoping for a significantly better return in these two outings.
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