Philippe Clement’s main worry during the international break will have been the fitness of his Rangers squad, with Ridvan Yilmaz one of the players to return to Ibrox injured.
Most fans expected Jack Butland to be called up by Gareth Southgate as England prepared for a double-header of friendly fixtures against Brazil and Belgium but he was subsequently snubbed.
Though it caused outrage amongst the Ibrox faithful, with Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone originally chosen for the Three Lions squad, Clement will have been secretly relieved to see Butland stay home.
Does Jack Butland deserve to be awarded with an England call-up?
The former Stoke City shot-stopper was handed another slap in the face after it emerged that Crystal Palace’s Johnstone had withdrawn from the squad due to injury, with 21-year-old James Trafford filling the void.
Of course, there is a lot of sense in bringing through a much younger prospect to the international team, having experienced his first taste of Premier League football this season with Burnley.
However, Butland has more than earned his spot in the England squad, impressing massively under Clement in Scotland. The ‘keeper has been a key part of Rangers’ push for the Scottish Premiership title, as well as their run to the Europa League round of 16.
BBC journalist Phil McNulty was shocked by the decision not to call Butland up, dubbing the goalkeeper “excellent” for the Gers this season.
Has the Rangers ace been handed an international lifeline ahead of Euro 2024?
And the latest update from the England camp would suggest that Butland has a very real chance of travelling to Germany in the summer, and rightly so.
The Daily Mail reported via its website [27 March] that Johnstone is set to miss Euro 2024, having suffered a serious elbow injury and undergoing surgery, which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Fans were dumbfounded by Southgate’s decision not to award Butland his first international call-up since 2019, and it would be an absolute travesty if the same situation occurred ahead of the summer tournament.
Undoubtedly, the 31-year-old must be on the plane to Germany.
In other Rangers news, European league giants have started their summer transfer activity and have launched a bid for a first-team Gers player with an update shared on his decision.
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The post View: 'Excellent' Rangers ace surely destined for Euro 2024 after international development today appeared first on Ibrox News.
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