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Marcus Rashford

LONDON. — Marcus Rashford is off to France this summer after Roy Hodgson took a Euro 2016 punt.

Manchester United’s teenage striker Rashford was included in England’s final 23-man Euro 2016 soccer squad announced yesterday as Danny Drinkwater and Andros Townsend dropped out.

Rashford (18) scored within three minutes of his England debut in Friday’s 2-1 win over Australia, having netted eight times in 18 games since making his United debut in February.

His emergence was thought to have cast doubt on Daniel Sturridge’s place, but the Liverpool player was named as one of five strikers despite missing the Australia game with a calf problem.

Originally named in manager Hodgson’s provisional 26-man squad, Leicester City midfielder Drinkwater and Newcastle United winger Townsend made way.

Injury victim Fabian Delph, the Manchester City midfielder, had previously been omitted.

Drinkwater, who made the first of three England appearances in March, was quick to offer his backing to the team after being overlooked by Hodgson. He wrote on his Instagram account: “Disappointed not to make the final 23! Would of been a fantastic experience to go to the Euros as a player. But I’ll be supporting the country like I always have!

“The season’s been a huge positive for me. Going into next season as a Premier League champion! Good luck to the lads… Bring it home #england.”

England play Portugal at Wembley tomorrow in their final warm-up game before heading to their French training base in Chantilly.

They open their Euro 2016 Group B campaign with a match against Russia in Marseille on Saturday June 11 before taking on Wales in Lens on Thursday June 16 and Slovakia in Saint-Etienne on Monday June 20.

Meanwhile, Marco Reus endured more injury heartache with Germany yesterday — his 27th birthday — as he was cut from their final Euro 2016 squad, two years after missing the World Cup.

A groin injury means Reus joins Julian Brandt, Sebastian Rudy and Karim Bellarabi to make up the four names cut as Germany announced their final 23-man squad while injured captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, who tore knee ligaments in March, is included.

Reus, Borussia Dortmund’s fleet-footed winger, missed out on Germany’s 2014 World Cup win after tearing ankle ligaments in a warm-up friendly international just before the squad flew to Brazil. Now an injury on club duty has scuppered his bid to be fit for the finals in France and the chance to add to his 29 caps.

The timing was especially bitter for the Dortmund star who was flooded by birthday wishes in the morning, only for Germany coach Joachim Loew to announce in the early afternoon that Reus’ Euro 2016 dream is over.

“He (Reus) has massive health problems and can only run straight at the moment,” said Loew.

“The doctors were very, very sceptical that he could be fully fit in the next few weeks at a strenuous tournament.

“It’s bitterly disappointing for him and us, because a Marco Reus in very good shape, healthy and fit, would have been a tremendous asset for us to have had.”

England 23-man squad for Euro 2016

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, capt), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

Germany’s 23-man squad for Euro 2016

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP)

Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Emre Can (Liverpool/ENG), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia/ESP), Antonio Ruediger (AS Roma/ITA)

Midfielders: Julian Draxler (Wolfsburg), Sami Khedira (Juventus/ITA), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/ESP), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/ENG), Leroy Sane (Schalke 04), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United/ENG), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards: Mario Gomez (Besiktas/TUR – on loan from Fiorentina/ITA), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray/TUR), Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich), Andre Schuerrle (Wolfsburg). — AFP.