Euro 2024: Gareth Southgate receives boost as UEFA confirm squad size increase to 26 players

UEFA has increased the maximum squad size for this summer’s European Championship from 23 to 26 players.

The change has been approved after the national competitions committee first voted in favour of the expansion last month.

Participating countries do not have to take advantage of the increase, but must submit their squads containing a minimum of 23 players and a maximum of 26 by June 7.

It is not the first time 26-player squads have been available at the tournament. The expansion was first introduced for Euro 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teams were also permitted to have 26 players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as the tournament took place in the middle of the domestic season.

England manager Gareth Southgate was among those to request an expanded squad size for Euro 2024 after many of his key players were struck down by injury for friendly matches in March.

When asked whether he would support the push for bigger squads, Southgate responded: "Well, given where we are now!"

He added: "We've got to make the best decisions [regarding selection] with what we know and some of those currently are going to be medical decisions.

"We've been able to get those right in the previous [two] tournaments. We've been able to give people time [to recover from injuries, having named them in the squad]. But with 23 that's definitely more difficult."

Euro 2024 gets underway on June 14 as Scotland come up against hosts Germany, before England get their campaign started on June 16 against Serbia.

Southgate is set to name his squad on May 21, two days after the conclusion of the current Premier League season.

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