Jack O'Connell OUT, Kean Bryan IN, Coulibaly named: Sheffield United's 25 man Premier League squad has been named - this is what it means
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Jack O'Connell, who recently went under the knife to correct a long-standing issue with his knee, is not included in United's squad, while there is no room for goalkeeper Simon Moore either.
What are the criteria for the 25-man squad?
Each Premier League club must submit a squad list for the 2020/21 season.
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Hide AdIt must contain no more than 17 players who aren't classed as 'homegrown' (more on that later) and the rest must be 'homegrown'.
Clubs are also allowed an additional list of U21 players, who will be registered to play but won't count towards the 25-man total.
Players are classed as U21 if they were born on or after January 1, 1999. Sander Berge was classed as an U21 player last season, but is part of United's 25 this time around.
What is a homegrown player?
A homegrown player, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).
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Hide AdSo John Egan qualifies as homegrown, but his fellow Irishman Enda Stevens does not; nor does Rangers product John Fleck.
Who's in for United?
United purposely run a tight ship anyway in terms of their squad size, so there are few real surprises. Kean Bryan is included, as extra cover for O'Connell after United didn't sign a new defender in the last transfer window, while Jack Rodwell is also named.
Interestingly, Ismaila Coulibaly features on the list of U21 players, despite being sent on loan to United's sister club Beerschot for the next three seasons.
He's been ripping it up in Belgium, scoring two goals in as many games following his move to United from Sarpsborg 08.
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Hide AdSo does that mean O'Connell is out for the season?
Not necessarily. The list can be revised in January, but there is zero chance of him playing between now and then - so it made no sense to name him. Likewise with Moore, who suffered a pretty nasty-looking injury to his hand in pre-season and needed surgery.
United also have four senior goalkeepers, with Aaron Ramsdale, Wes Foderingham and Michael Verrips being named in the 25, plus Jordan Amissah and Marcus Dewhurst on the supplementary list.
United's 25-man squad (*Home grown)
Baldock, George Henry Ivor*
Basham, Christopher Paul*
Berge, Sander Gard Bolin
Bryan, Kean Shay*
Burke, Oliver*
Egan, John*
Fleck, John Alexander
Foderingham, Wesley Andrew*
Jagielka, Philip Nikodem*
Lowe, Max Josef*
Lundstram, John David*
McBurnie, Oliver*
McGoldrick, David James*
Mousset, Lys Emilien
Norwood, Oliver James*
Osborn, Benjamin Jarrod*
Ramsdale, Aaron*
Robinson, Jack*
Rodwell, Jack Christian*
Sharp, Billy Louis*
Stevens, Enda
Verrips, Michael Robin
U21 players (Contract and Scholars)
Amissah, Jordan
Ampadu, Ethan
Anderson, Beau James
Angell, Thomas Harry
Arblaster, Oliver Luke
Ayari, Hassan Ben Kamel
Bailey-Green, Tyrese
Belehouan, Seri Jean Leroy
Bogle, Jayden Ian
Boyes, Harry
Brewster, Rhian Joel
Broadbent, George
Brookes, Andre Chance
Brunt, Zak Rian
Cappello, Angelo Santo
Chapman, Joshua Matthew
Coulibaly, Ismaila Cheick
Cullinan, Harvey
Dewhurst, Marcus Robert
Gaxha, Leonardo
Gomis, Nicksoen
Gordon, Kyron Silveria
Graham, Samuel
Grant, Kamarl Antonio
Hackford, Antwoine
Hall, Ashton Vincent
Hampshaw, Henry Kit
Hiddlestone, Callum
Jebbison, Daniel David
Lopata, Kacper
Maguire, Francis William
Mallon, Stephen Anthony
Marsh, Louie
Ndiaye, Iliman Cheikh Baroy
Neal, Harrison
Norrington-Davies, Rhys Llewelyn
Osula, William Idamudia Daugard
Parkhouse, David Cain
Potter, Finley John
Seriki, Oluwafemi Ibrahim
Skerritt, Tristan Devere
Slater, Ethan
Slater, Regan Newman
Smith, Joshua James
Viggars, Ryan James
Williams, Luther Cornelius Mclachlan
Williams, Theo
Williams, Tommy John Albert
What about elsewhere in the Premier League?
Mesut Ozil has been left out of Arsenal's Premier League squad to cast even further doubt on his future at the club.
The 32-year-old is the highest-paid player in Arsenal's history but has now been omitted from both the Premier League and Europa League squads.
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Hide AdOzil has not played a single minute for the Gunners since March 7, having initially been a mainstay of the team following Mikel Arteta's appointment last year.
The German World Cup winner has been available this season until now but Premier League clubs had to name a 25-man squad after the closure of both the international and domestic transfer windows.
Alongside Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos - also left out of both squads - Ozil will only be able to represent Arsenal Under-23s until 2021 at the earliest as his contract at the Emirates Stadium expires next summer.
Chelsea have named the retired Petr Cech, now 38 years old and the club's technical director, as a precautionary measure because of Covid-19.
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Hide AdAnd Manchester United have omitted Phil Jones and Sergio Romero from their 25-man squad - with Romero demoted in the pecking order following Dean Henderson's return to Old Trafford from his loan spell at Bramall Lane.
Defender Jones and goalkeeper Romero were both also left out of United's Champions League squad earlier this month after falling out of favour under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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