Who will miss out when England boss Roy Hodgson makes his final Euro 2016 squad selection?

If anything, the picture has become even more clouded in the wake of Friday’s friendly win at the Stadium of Light, with Marcus Rashford’s debut goal having increased the likelihood of the Manchester United youngster being named in the final squad for France.

Hodgson intends to inform his players of his decision this afternoon, so who will be left heartbroken after he announces his final cut?

ANDROS TOWNSEND

The Newcastle United midfielder scraped into the initial 26 thanks to his impressive club form in the final two months of the season, but the fact he only played for 14 minutes of the two warm-up matches suggests he is extremely vulnerable.

Hodgson likes him, and he has made some significant contributions in an England shirt in the past. The absence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott means wide players are at a premium, so Hodgson might decide that Townsend’s dribbling ability is too big an asset to discard.

However, the England boss has played with a narrow midfield in most of England’s recent matches, and Townsend doesn’t sit easily in that system.

Likelihood of missing out: *****

DANNY DRINKWATER

In many people’s eyes, the Leicester title winner was the most in-form central midfielder in the Premier League last season, but might his emergence onto the international scene have come too late?

It looked that way on Friday, as he was shuffled out to the left-hand side to accommodate Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson, who Hodgson appears to rate more highly. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Drinkwater did not impress in a relatively unfamiliar position.

With Hodgson clearly a fan of a diamond-shaped midfield, there is a need for a large number of central midfielders in the squad. Might Drinkwater’s absence from all the qualifiers count against him though?

Likelihood of missing out: *****

ROSS BARKLEY

If Hodgson is to cut one of his central midfielders, it could come down to a straight choice between Drinkwater and Barkley. The Everton midfielder had looked like a possible starter as recently as six months ago, but his form has collapsed alarmingly and his place in the squad is now at risk.

He has some decent international performances in the credit column, most notably when coming off the bench to help transform the game as England beat Germany in Berlin, and his power and energy could be valuable assets in the latter stages of a match in France.

He barely featured in the two warm-up matches though, and Dele Alli has clearly leaped ahead of him in the attacking-midfield pecking order. Might that tempt Hodgson to leave him at home?

Likelihood of missing out: ****

MARCUS RASHFORD

When the initial 23-man squad was named, it was widely assumed that Rashford would be one of the three players to be released this week. Not anymore. The Manchester United youngster seized his chance emphatically on Friday and now looks likely to be one of five strikers in the squad.

That might seem strange given that Hodgson tends to play with one player up front, but he has been looking for a like-for-like replacement for Welbeck and appears to have concluded that Rashford is the nearest thing.

He played him on the left-hand side for long periods of England’s win over Australia, and liked what he saw. He has also been impressed with Rashford’s attitude and fearlessness in training, and it would now be a surprise if the 18-year-old was not to make the cut.

Likelihood of missing out: **

DANIEL STURRIDGE

There’s always a last-minute injury scare when it comes to England’s preparations for a major tournament, and this time around it has centred around Sturridge.

The Liverpool striker damaged his calf in the build-up to Friday’s run out at Sunderland, and was unable to have any involvement at the Stadium of Light. However, he trained yesterday, and provided there are no worrying signs this morning, he will surely be named in the squad.

He started last season as England’s first-choice striker, and Hodgson continues to regard him as the most natural finisher in the country. He won’t start the opening group game against Russia, but he could well be the first option from the bench.

Likelihood of missing out: **

JORDAN HENDERSON

The main reason Hodgson named a provisional squad in the first place was because of injury concerns over Henderson and Wilshere. Provided the two midfielders proved their fitness, they were always going to survive the cut, and they have answered the coaching staff’s concerns.

Henderson wasn’t quite ready for Liverpool’s Europa League final, but he played the full 90 minutes of England’s Friday night run-out and while he wasn’t quite at his best for most of the game, he showed no ill effects from his absence.

He was an integral part of England’s successful qualifying campaign, and Hodgson clearly values his reliability. Not only will he travel to France, he also has a good chance of starting the opening game with Russia in Marseille.

Likelihood of missing out: *

JACK WILSHERE

As Hodgson’s ‘golden boy’, Wilshere was always going to be on the plane to France provided he could prove his fitness levels were anywhere close to acceptable. He did that by contributing to last week’s two warm-up games.

Admittedly, he still looked off the pace at the Stadium of Light, but with the best part of a fortnight until England kick off their Group B campaign, Hodgson will feel there is plenty of time for his sharpness to return.

Eric Dier’s emergence has changed England’s midfield picture, but Wilshere remains one of Hodgson’s most trusted lieutenants. As a result, there is still every chance of him playing a central role once the tournament begins.

Likelihood of missing out: *