England just left their best defender at home and Liverpool’s snub could cost the country victory at Euro 2024

England boss Gareth Southgate will not confirm the final squad for Euro 2024 until Saturday, but it is now widely reported that two Liverpool stars will stay at home. One of these decisions in particular could prove costly.

It’s not a particularly unexpected knock for Jarell Quansah or Curtis Jones, neither of whom received an England cap prior to their inclusion in the provisional 33-man squad. But that alone does not support Southgate’s appeal.

New Liverpool boss Arne Slot can be secretly pleased with two more senior players set to boost the ranks at the start of pre-season. But from England’s perspective, if Quansah returns home, then football may not be.

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That’s a bold statement to make about a 21-year-old who only made his Liverpool debut last season. While there was some internal excitement about Quansah, he arrived more or less out of the blue for the average supporter, impressing during the pre-season and then never looking back.

But given the campaign he’s had, it would no longer be fair to describe Quansah as inexperienced. He lacks any game time with England – for which Southgate has only himself to blame – but has racked up an impressive amount of top-level minutes over the course of the season.

In all competitions, Quansah logged 2,509 minutes for Liverpool in 2023/24. That’s more than Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi and John Stones, all of whom look likely to make the final England squad ahead of him.

Of course, it’s not all about the minutes. This is enough to show that Quansah should not have been left out on the grounds of inexperience, but the big question is whether he has shown enough quality to feature in the England set-up.

On the evidence of this season, he should be a starter. Not only is he excellent defensively, but his attributes lend themselves perfectly to tournament football.

Given the fine margins involved, we can expect clean sheets to play a big role at Euro 2024. Quansah is in the 97th percentile of peer positions for goals scored per 90 in Europe’s top leagues over the past year ( FBRef), primarily due to the major threat from corners and free kicks.

An imposing physical presence despite his young age, Quansah is very dangerous in the air. But even if the ball hits the ground, he showed at Liverpool that he possesses a real composure, able to wreak havoc around him but keep a cool head and find a finish.

That kind of ability is part of the reason why Southgate has kept his faith in Maguire for so long. But Quansah offers almost the same package in this regard, as well as a lot of additional advantages.

In possession, he suits the dominant style England are likely to play, with Southgate’s side set to go into almost every Euro 2024 match as favourites. Quansah averaged over 90 passes per game at Liverpool, boasting a success rate of 89.7%, while also managing to advance the ball at a significantly above-average rate.

Meanwhile, defensively, Quansah has been nearly flawless. His aerial dominance is useful at that end of the pitch as well, but it’s the more general category of defensive duels where he really shines. No under-25 defender in Europe’s top five leagues can boast a better duel win percentage.

It may be hyperbole to say that England left their best defender at home, but the numbers don’t lie. And even looking beyond the stats, it’s hard not to feel as though a key defender in a Liverpool side that finished third and with the third best defensive record in the league would be worth consideration more honest from Southgate.

Quansah was not used at all in England’s first friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, so he is still awaiting his debut. It remains to be seen what the next Euro 2024 warm-up schedule has in store for those prepared to pack their bags, but it almost feels like a futile call.

If nothing else, he now has some of that all-important ‘experience’ in the England camp and perhaps that will stand him in good stead for the next set of internationals. But at Euro 2024, if a defender is beaten in a crucial duel or misses a glorious chance from a set-piece, just remember who will be sitting at home.