Euro 2012

[Dingle]

Chris Smalling out of the tournament with a groin injury.

Shame he's not a Chelsea player

[stokeriño]

...Eh?

[MJB]

I'm guessing Jouzy's on about the physio.

[Lineker]

Final ball, the adidas Tango.

[Colly]

I demand an old school proper Adidas Tango, Italia 90 style. Vying with the Mitre Delta as best ball ever.

[Lineker]

John O'Shea is a doubt for Ireland now, he has an injury.

Meanwhile...

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has been selected as part of Italy's provisional 32-man squad for Euro 2012.

The 21-year-old was left out of the national squad in February after Italy manager Cesare Prandelli deemed his stamp on Tottenham's Scott Parker during a Premier League clash a "breach of team ethics."

His dismissal against Arsenal last month put his place in further doubt.

But Balotelli has been picked on the day City won the Premier League title.

The controversial Italian came on as substitute in the 3-2 victory over QPR, laying on Sergio Aguero's decisive injury-time goal.

Balotelli has often courted more attention for his off the field antics rather than the brilliance of his play, but Prandelli says the striker was never out of contention.

"I never really thought of doing this without Balotelli, as he is a focal point of the national team," Prandelli said.

"Have I made peace with Balotelli? Yes, although to be honest we never argued in the first place."

Italy face a tough group at Euro 2012, with matches against world and defending European champions Spain, Ireland and Croatia.

The squad is expected to be trimmed to 23 players later this week.

[GoN_]

Portuguese Squad for Euro 2012:

Goalkeepers: Rui Patrício (Sporting), Eduardo (Benfica) e Beto (Cluj);

Defenders: João Pereira (Sporting), Miguel Lopes (SC Braga), Pepe (Real Madrid), Bruno Alves (Zenit), Rolando (FC Porto), Ricardo Costa (Valencia) e Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid);

Midfielders: João Moutinho (FC Porto), Raúl Meireles (Chelsea), Carlos Martins (Granada), Miguel Veloso (Genoa), Rúben Micael (Zaragoza ) e Custódio (SC Braga);

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Nani (Manchester United), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Silvestre Varela (FC Porto), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Hélder Postiga (Zaragoza) e Nélson Oliveira (Benfica).

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[Lineker]

Striker Johan Elmander has been called up to Sweden's 23-man Euro 2012 squad despite a fractured metatarsal.

The 30-year-old former Bolton man suffered the injury in Galatasaray's win over Fenerbahce on Saturday, but is expected to be fit for the tournament.

Blackburn's Martin Olsson, West Brom's Jonas Olsson and Sunderland's Sebastian Larsson are the English-based players to have been selected.

The Swedes meet England, Ukraine and France in Group D.

There is no place in the squad for Manchester City teenager John Guidetti, who spent the season on loan at Feyenoord, scoring 20 goals as the Rotterdam club came runners-up to Ajax in the Eredivisie.

Celtic centre-back Daniel Majstorovic also misses out having ruptured knee ligaments during the season, however, team-mate Mikael Lustig is included.

Former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg is selected, as is ex-Wigan man Andreas Granqvist and Andreas Isaksson, previously of Manchester City, is likely to be the number one goalkeeper.

The side will be by AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose side came runners-up to Juventus in Serie A.

Goalkeepers: Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven), Johan Wiland, (FC Copenhagen, Pär Hansson (Helsingborg)

Defenders: Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Olof Mellberg(Olympiakos), Andreas Granqvist (Genoa), Martin Olsson, (Blackburn), Jonas Olsson (West Bromwich), Behrang Safari (Anderlecht), Mikael Antonsson (Bologna)

Midfielders: Rasmus Elm (AZ Alkmaar), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Kim Kallstrom (Lyon), Anders Svensson (Elfsborg), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow), Samuel Holmen (Istanbul BB), Emir Bajrami (Twente), Christian Wilhelmsson (al-Hilal)

Strikers: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan), Johan Elmander (Galatasaray), Tobias Hysen (IFK Gothenburg), Ola Toivonen (PSV Eindhoven), Marcus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen).

[GoGo Yubari]

Slightly disappointed that Adam Johansson didn't make Sweden's squad, but not by much because if he did then we'd be missing our first-choice RB in Seattle for a stretch.

[Jam]

Who would you pick for the England squad? Think its a tough one as I don't think can take Ferdinand and Terry. I'd go:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David Stockdale and Fraser Forster

Defenders: Micah Richards, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka

Midfielders: Frank Lampard, Adam Johnson, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, Scott Parker, James Milner and Ashley Young

Strikers: Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott

Some tough selection issues. I don't think you can take Crouch and Carroll, don't think you can take Ferdinand and Terry and think the fifth striker will boil down to Walcott or Defoe. Lennon I just went for over Downing as well. If we name a 30 man provisional squad which I think we will the other seven players for me would be Shawcross, Downing, Defoe, Graham, Carroll, Barry and Oxlade Chamberlain. The goalkeepers could be changable as after Hart the depth is awful, maybe look at Ruddy over Stockdale

[METALMAN]

omfg a leeds fan

[Adam]

I wouldn't be taking Ferdinand in a million years. Certainly not instead of Terry.

[Colly]

I'd go Ferdinand. Two tournaments in a row with Terry creating a big fuckoff rift in the squad is two too many.

[TCO]

Who would you pick for the England squad? Think its a tough one as I don't think can take Ferdinand and Terry. I'd go:

Defenders: Micah Richards, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka

lol Ferdinand over Terry. I wouldn't have Ferdinand anyway, even if Terry didn't racially abuse his brother.

[therockbox]

GK: Hart, Stockdale, whoever

DF: Glen Johnson, Micah Richards, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Rio, Cahill, Phil Jones, Lescott

MF: Parker, Barry, Carrick, Oxlade Chamberlain, Walcott, Young, Scholes, Milner

F: Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge, Carroll

But Terry/Downing/Gerrard/Lampard/Defoe et al will all go, despite not deserving to.

[Jam]

I dislike Ferdinand as much as anyone, and think he is far from the player he was at 2002 World Cup but he's had a good second half of the season. Actually made Evans look a capable defender

[METALMAN]

If I were England manager I would pick this team: Grant Holt

The rest: don't care

Grant Holt

[Thrilla]

Oxlade Chamberlain will just end up like Theo in the 2002 squad.

[METALMAN]

Oxlade Chamberlain isn't 13 :/

Or good enough for the team for that matter.

[Cuthman]

If I were England manager I would pick this team: Grant Holt

The rest: don't care

Grant Holt

While it would be such a great finish to a fairytale story for Holt, one has to acknowledge that, realistically, he is unlikely to be included in the squad.

Ruddy might be in contention, though. Ray Clemence was at the Norwich and Villa match, likely casting his eye for a possible third choice keeper.