UEFA rule change could force England star to change international allegiance ahead of Euro 2024

One England player could be forced to change international allegiance ahead of Euro 2024 amid fresh doubt over whether he will play at the tournament.

On Wednesday, UEFA announced that for Euro 2024, they would cut the number of players allowed to be named in each squads from 26 down to 23.

That means the squad numbers are restored to pre-Covid levels, with UEFA initially taking the decision ahead of Euro 2020 in case of an outbreak of the virus.

The 26-player limit was kept for the World Cup in Qatar last year, meaning Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate and his contemporaries avoided a potential selection headache.

But the new rule change means he will not be able to select three players that otherwise would have been involved if squad numbers were set at 26.

One player who could be affected by the rule change is Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah, who picked up his first England cap during the 1-0 friendly win over Australia on Friday.

But he was 'dropped' from the squad ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy due to number limits.

Nketiah can still switch international allegiance to Ghana as he is yet to play a competitive fixture for the Three Lions. He is eligible to feature for Ghana as his parents are Ghanaian.

Former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton, who is currently in charge of the Black Stars, said that he had not given up hope on Nketiah making the switch in the future, despite the striker previously turning down an approach to play at the World Cup.

However, the Arsenal forward has appeared to indicate that playing for England is where his future lies - even if opportunities are limited moving forwards.

He explained: "It's a really proud moment for me, my family and my friends. It has been quite the journey to get here - a lot of ups and downs.

"Once the call-up was there, an offer was on the table, it was really hard to turn down and something which I felt was a natural progression for myself at this stage."

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