DARLINGTON, England: England players are not being shy about their sky-high goals for Euro 2024, according to Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier, who will captain the squad in today's send-off game.
"I've said it many times, we shouldn't be shy to say that we can win it. We're not saying that in an arrogant way. We've got a great squad, top manager, top stuff. We've been so close recently over so many years and it's just about taking that next step now," Trippier told reporters yesterday.
"I fully believe with the squad that we've got, we can go all the way. The most important thing is that (the) togetherness that we've got in the squad is unbelievable, probably the best I've been involved."
England, who host Bosnia & Herzegovina in a send-off game on Monday at Newcastle's St. James' Park, will be without Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Anthony Gordon, who were all progressing well from injuries, said manager Gareth Southgate.
He has given Jude Bellingham the week off after the 20-year-old's remarkable debut season with Real Madrid, punctuated by Saturday's Champions League victory.
Southgate added that neither Bukayo Saka nor John Stones would play on Monday.
"John, because he reported a bit later (after a long season with Manchester City that culminated in an FA Cup loss to Manchester United on May 25), hasn't worked with us for the number of days, so better for him to follow an individual programme for the next couple of days," Southgate explained.
"Bukayo's fine, he's progressing well. But following his injury, we've taken (the decision) to rest tomorrow and then he should be available for Friday."
England host Iceland at Wembley on Friday in their final send-off game before departing for the European Championship in Germany.
England trained at Middlesbrough's practice ground on Sunday and a couple of dozen fans, including youngsters dressed in football kit, lined the road out of the facility to cheer the team's bus.
Asked what he hoped to get from the two friendlies and if winning both was important, Southgate said results always mattered.
"Because we'll have three days of whatever (criticism) if we don't win," Southgate said with a laugh. "But for me, it's about playing well, it's about building what we're doing over the next five, six weeks, because we're going to be together I think it's another 43 days or whatever to the (Euro) final.
"Not every one of those days is going to be a great one, not every hour is going to be perfect. But we're trying to embed some principles this week in what we've talked about and what we've worked on. And (Monday) is the first sort of opportunity to display that in public."
Southgate admitted there were constraints in preparing with some players not yet with the squad and others recovering from injury. It was an improvement over the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he added, where England did not have a full squad until five days before their first game.
"Some players need minutes, the whole group that have been with us for five, six days have had a couple of weeks without a game, so everybody's going to benefit from that," Southgate said. "So there's a big physical aspect to what we're looking at periodisation wise.
"And then an opportunity to see some combinations, see people in different positions, perhaps some players with fewer caps than others, that international experience playing at what will be a brilliant atmosphere is always important. So lots of different objectives. And I think the boys will play well."
Trippier said wearing the captain's armband on Monday at St. James' Park would be a moment to cherish.
"The stadium, obviously I play in week in, week out and I've got to thank Gareth for giving me that trust (as captain)," he said. "To lead the lads out is very special, and my son will be mascot as well, so that's even more special."
England open their Euro 2024 campaign on June 16 against Serbia in Group C, which also contains Slovenia and Denmark.