The Three Lions squad for the European Championship  Pre-France June 1992
Player	Birthdate	Age	Pos	Club	St	Sub	App	G	Capt
Barnes, John C.B.	7 November 1963	28	F	Liverpool FC	54	13	67	10	0
	Barnes withdrew from the squad on 3 June because of an achilles tendon injury
19. Batty, David	2 December 1968	23	M	Leeds United AFC	6	2	8	0	0
9. Clough, Nigel H.	19 March 1966	26	M	Nottingham Forest FC	2	5	7	0	0
2. Curle, Keith	14 November 1963	28	CD	Manchester City FC	2	1	3	0	0
	Curle was admitted to the squad on 5 June as a replacement for Stevens
18. Daley, Anthony M.	18 October 1967	24	F	Aston Villa FC	3	3	6	0	0
Dixon, Lee M.	17 March 1964	28	RB	Arsenal FC	11	1	12	0	0
	Dixon withdrew from the squad on 25 May because of a knee injury
14. Dorigo, Anthony R.	31 December 1965	26	LB	Leeds United AFC	5	5	10	0	0
4. Keown, Martin R.	24 July 1966	25	CD	Everton FC	7	0	7	1	0
10. Lineker, Gary W.	30 November 1960	31	F	Tottenham Hotspur FC	72	6	78	48	16	none
13. Martyn, A. Nigel	11 August 1966	25	G	Leeds United AFC	1	1	2	0 GA	0
16. Merson, Paul C.	20 March 1968	24	F	Arsenal FC	3	3	6	1	0
12. Palmer, Carlton L.	5 December 1965	26	M	Sheffield Wednesday FC	4	1	5	0	0
3. Pearce, Stuart	24 April 1962	30	LB	Nottingham Forest FC	46	2	48	2	3
7. Platt, David A.	10 June 1966	25	M	Juventus FC, Italy	23	7	30	10	0
20. Shearer, Alan	13 August 1970	21	F	Southampton FC	2	0	2	1	0	none
11. Sinton, Andrew	19 March 1966	26	M	Queen's Park Rangers FC	3	1	4	0	0	none
	Sinton was admitted to the squad on 5 June as a replacement for Barnes
17. Smith, Alan M.	21 November 1962	29	F	Arsenal FC	7	5	12	2	0	none
8. Steven, Trevor M.	21 September 1963	28	M	Olympique de Marseille, France	28	7	35	4	0
Stevens, M. Gary	27 March 1963	29	RB	Rangers FC, Scotland	40	6	46	0	0
	Stevens withdrew from the squad on 3 June because of a broken foot
5. Walker, Desmond S.	26 November 1965	26	CD	UC Sampdoria, Italy	43	2	45	0	0
15. Webb, Neil J.	30 July 1963	28	M	Manchester United FC	20	5	25	4	0
1. Woods, Christopher C.E.	14 November 1959	32	G	Sheffield Wednesday FC	24	8	32	? GA	0
6. Wright, Mark	1 August 1963	28	CD	Liverpool FC	39	3	42	1	1
	Wright withdrew from the squad on 7 June because of a recurring achilles tendon injury, he could not be replaced.
Reserves
Adams, Tony A.			CD	Arsenal FC			19	4
	UEFA declined permission for Adams to join the squad on 12 June
Seaman, David A.	19 September 1963	28	G	Arsenal FC

All information is complete to and including England's last match, the ninth of the 1991-92 season, against Finland on 3 June 1992.

Diary

Friday, 15 May 1992 - Two days before England meet Brazil at Wembley in a final home warm-up, Liverpool's Rob Jones, Taylor's expected first choice at right back, pulls out of the squad with shin splints.  The 20-year-old had made only one international appearance, against France in a February friendly, but had given a cultured performance far beyond his years.

Sunday, 17 May 1992 - England come from behind to draw with Brazil at Wembley Stadium.

Monday, 18 May 1992 - Graham Taylor announces his twenty-man squad, thirteen days ahead of the due date. The press regard midfielder David Batty and right back Lee Dixon as surprise inclusions, although Dixon, who had 12 caps, was needed to replace Jones. The most notable omissions were Chris Waddle, the 31-year-old midfield genius whose continued absence from England team selections bewildered French as well as English fans who had observed his consistently sparkling play for Olympique Marseille. Asked about Waddle at a later press conference in Sweden, Taylor replied, "I am not sure he wants to play for England anymore." Another 31-year-old, Peter Beardsley, so often the provider and creative foil for Gary Lineker, was also missing. Noteworthy, too, was the omission of Ian Wright, 28, the Arsenal striker who led all scorers in the old First Division's last season with 29 goals. Tony Adams was also omitted.
He places Andy Sinton on the standby list, because of the uncertainty surrounding John Barnes.

Monday, 25 May 1992 - Arsenal's right-back Lee Dixon joined his fellow defender Jones on the disabled list after injuring his knee in a freak accident at home, and Taylor summoned Gary Stevens as a replacement.  The Rangers defender is a veteran of the 1986 and 1990 World Cup and 1988 European Championship tournaments.

Wednesday, 3 June 1992 - England then travel to Helsinki where a 2-1 final warm-up match victory over Finland is marred by a double misfortune. Gary Stevens suffered a stress fracture of the right foot and Liverpool wing forward John Barnes, 28, a ruptured Achilles tendon.  A third right back had been lost to England, as well as the third and last England player of the day blessed with world class creative and technical skills. Taylor had to use midfielder Carlton Palmer at right back after the injury interrupted Stevens' 46th and final international appearance.  The brilliant Barnes, making his 67th appearance and also a veteran of the last three major tournaments, was irreplaceable. 

Friday, 5 June 1992 - Because the deadline for submission of squad lists to UEFA had passed, Taylor had to apply for permission to replace Stevens and Barnes with central defender Keith Curle and wide midfielder Andy Sinton. Lee Dixon has almost recovered, but Taylor has decided not to gamble on his fitness. UEFA consented to the replacements.

Sunday, 7 June 1992 - The England squad travel to Sweden without Mark Wright, who did not show up at Luton airport. Wright aggrevated an old achilles tendon injury whilst on England duty in Helsinki, unknown to Taylor and the rest of the England staff, Liverpool kept the problem under wraps for two days after Wright's return from Finland and did not notify England management until late yesterday afternoon. Taylor has applied to UEFA for permission to replace him with Adams. 

Thursday, 11 June 1992 - Mark Wright is flown to Sweden for an assessment by a UEFA medical examiner just hours before England's tournament opener against Denmark.
England draw their opening match with Denmark without any goals being scored. Taylor delayed announcing his lineup for the opener against Denmark until the last moment possible, an hour before the match, reticence which was then unusual in an England manager and which a good part of the press, denied their customary pre-match story, greeted with hostile scepticism.  The fact was that Taylor was uncertain who would be available to him and, accordingly, waited to name his team. Injuries explain why, after extolling the virtues of a sweeper system at length at a press conference, Taylor used a flat back four against Denmark, an apparent contradiction which earned him scorn in the press.  Without Wright, who had played well when Bobby Robson suddenly decided to use him as a sweeper at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Taylor had no player he felt comfortable deploying in that role. Injuries also explain why Taylor used central defender Keith Curle at right back, where he was terribly out of place in what must have been a confidence-shattering experience.  Having lost three right backs, Taylor had no right backs left in the squad.  He recognized the mistake; he took Curle off in favour of winger Tony Daley in the 62nd minute and had Trevor Steven, the pick of England's midfield in this match, move to right back.

Friday, 12 June 1992 - UEFA deny the request to replace Mark Wright with Tony Adams, stating that Wright's injury is not an new injury. It leaves England with only nineteen squad members, and without a recognised right-back.

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CG/PY