Nemanja Matic says Gareth Southgate’s axing of Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish is ‘good news’ for Serbia at Euro 2024 as they can ‘decide the game with one move’

Former Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic says his nation have been given a boost by the news that Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish will not be lining up against them in their Euro 2024 opener.

The two high-profile Three Lions stars have not been included in Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad, which was released on Thursday. 

England will be facing the Serbs in their first game of the tournament on June 16 and Matic thinks it is a mistake that Rashford and Grealish will not be involved.

The former Chelsea and Man United midfielder tweeted: ‘I would always like to have players like @MarcusRashford and @JackGrealish in the team.

‘Players who can decide the game with one move! Not selected/good news for us’

Rashford was the shock omission from England’s provisional 33-man squad last month.

The United forward paid the price for an underwhelming season at Old Trafford which yielded only seven goals in 33 league appearances. 

On the decision, Southgate said: ‘with Marcus I just feel that players in that area of the pitch have had better seasons, it’s as simple as that.’