The likes of Erling Haaland, Virgil Van Dijk and Zlatan Ibrahimovic watching Euro 2020 from their sofas just doesn’t feel right, does it?
Well, now those three will be joined by Jesse Lingard and Sergio Ramos as they have both been left out of their international squads for the showpiece tournament.
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The European Championship has a history of showcasing some of the finest international talent the continent has to offer.
This summer we’ll get to see Harry Kane, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and more attempt to win the Henri Delaunay trophy.
But, as we’ve seen, not every top player will feature this summer.
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
This is a big one. Ramos, the captain of Spain and Real Madrid, will not be playing at Euro 2020.
This means that for the first time in history there will be no Real players in a Spain international squad.
In fact, Brighton now have more players in Spain’s squad than the Spanish giants.
A lack of games for Ramos due to injury was a contributing factor and Aymeric Laporte has been called up instead. Since January 14, Ramos has played three games for Real Madrid.
Jesse Lingard (England)
Despite enjoying arguably the best spell of his career, Lingard failed to make England’s final 26-man squad.
Lingard was superb during his short loan spell at West Ham, scoring nine Premier League goals and earning a host of plaudits.
Many expected him to be in Gareth Southgate’s ranks but the 28-year-old Manchester United winger has not been selected.
He will likely be first reserve should England suffer any injuries but not making the initial squad will be a big blow for him.
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Erling Haaland (Norway)
Widely touted as one of the best strikers on the planet, Haaland has top clubs all over the world salivating at the prospect of joining them.
The Borussia Dortmund goal machine has been in fine form this season, scoring 25 times in 27 league appearances and would have provided some entertainment at Euro 2020 for sure.
However, Norway were knocked out in the qualification play-off semi-finals by Serbia.
But with six international goals in 10 games, the future is bright for his country and we will hopefully see him at next year World Cup 2022.
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Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands)
It’s been a disappointing season for Liverpool, largely due to the long term injury to defensive anchor Van Dijk.
The 29-year-old defender suffered a serious knee injury last October and has since missed the whole season. He’s yet to represent his country in a major competition.
Netherlands will be without their captain, and arguably best player, heading into the Euros, which is something gaffer Frank de Boer will not be happy about.
After the Dutch failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, this seemed like the perfect time for him to get an international tournament under his belt but sadly that won’t be the case.
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Jan Oblak (Slovenia)
One of the best goalkeepers in the world not being a part of Euro 2020 is a real shame.
Slovenia haven’t qualified for a tournament since the 2010 World Cup, and this summer is no different as the shot-stopper misses out on yet another competition.
The Atletico Madrid star, who is on course to win LaLiga, has also been linked with a move to the Premier League.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
After a remarkable comeback into the Swedish national team, Ibrahimovic will miss out on the Euros this summer due to a knee injury.
The Sweden icon has represented his country 118 times, scoring 62 times, and after a five year break, football fans from around the world were ecstatic for his return.
At the age of 39, it would have surely been his last tournament, this injury will be a hard pill to swallow.
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Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia)
The Lazio star will miss out on a chance to show off his talents this summer as Serbia were defeated in a penalty shootout against Scotland.
The midfielder, who has 22 caps for his country, has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Chelsea for a while now.
With Lazio missing out on Champions League football, he could be headed to England this summer.
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Miralem Pjanic (Bosnia)
The ex-Juventus ace hasn’t enjoyed the best season since moving to Spain, with some people already claiming his transfer from Turin was a wrong move.
The 31-year old still does possess top quality and is one of the first names on the Bosnian team sheet.
The midfielder, who represented his country at the World Cup, won’t be headed to the Euros after Bosnia were knocked out by Northern Ireland.
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Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany)
Another Barca player missing out is Ter Stegen, another top goalkeeper.
The German will undergo knee surgery that will keep him out for several months, a blow for Joachim Low who is a big fan of his.
“For the first time in many years I will be a fan at home supporting my country,” Ter Stegen wrote on Instagram. “I hope we win it!”
Germany are one of the favourites heading into the competition, and luckily they have Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer behind the sticks – not bad at all.
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