Roy Hodgson refuses to rule out the possibility of players making a late dash into his thinking for Euro 2016.
On Thursday, the England manager named a 24-man squad for this month’s friendly clashes with Germany and the Netherlands.
But, even with less than 100 days left until this summer’s tournament kicks off, Hodgson says there’s still a chance for players to force their way into his reckoning.
“I think it would be foolish to put barriers in place,” said the Three Lions boss, who gave Danny Drinkwater his first call-up for the double-header.
“We have been working since the World Cup with a group of players – quite a large group of players – and we're happy enough with how things have gone and the way those players have responded to the work we've tried to do and the football we've tried to play.
“I'm not prepared to say 'this is it'”
Roy Hodgson England manager
“I think it's going to be a task for people to break in, as it should be because anyone that breaks in is going to take the place of someone that's been there for the last two years doing quite well.
“Having said that, though, I'm not prepared to say 'this is it.' There are players outside of this squad, not least of all the injured ones but also one or two other players who could easily have been included in this squad.
“At the moment we're looking at a fairly large group with this group of players, but who knows? There are still five or six weeks of the season, so let's leave the door open.”
