Absent XI

[3 Colours Red]

As I usually do for Euros and World Cups, I have attempted to create a best XI from nations that failed to qualify. Again, I have restricted myself to one player per nation so apologies to Martin Odegaard and Alexander Isak who would have walked into this side otherwise. Also, no Russians or Israelis for obvious reasons.

GK - Hradecky (FIN)
RB - Bradley (NIR)
CB - Savic (MNE)
CB - Rrahmani (KOS)
LB - Davies (WAL)
RW - Kulusevski (SWE)
CM - Teuma (MLT)
CM - Mkhitaryan (ARM)
LW - Elmas (MKD)
CF - Haaland (NOR)
CF - Dzeko (BIH)

Subs
Vlachodimos (GRE) (GK)
Hein (EST) (GK)
Collins (IRE)
Zainutdinov (KAZ)
Makreckis (LAT)
Utkus (LTU)
Barreiro Martins (LUX)
Ionita (MDA)
Despodov (BUL)
Kastanos (CYP)
Gudmundsson (ISL)
Emreli (AZE)

So yeah, Trying to pick a squad of 23 from 29 eligible nations with no repeats... no wonder the bench isn't that great.

[Duncan Gardner]

Was Hradecky eligible elsewhere? Name means castle

Let's not rush Bradley

[3 Colours Red]

There wasn't a huge amount of choice at right back, frankly. And the "one player per nation" self-imposed restriction always throws up a few quirks. And I always try to make these teams at least vaguely functional, I'm not Garth Crooks - so I wanted an attacking right back to compliment the more reserved Davies on the other flank, who can play as a third CB when Bradley bombs on.

Hradecky was born in Bratislava but grew up in Turku and has played for Finland since u17 level. And if he had played for Slovakia, then he wouldn't have been eligible for my XI.

[ad hoc]

I don't think Bradley will have his career trajectory affected too greatly by being selected in an imaginary team that will never actually play any games (or do any training)

[Patrick Thistle]

I liked the idea mooted at the last World Cup that there should be an "everyone else" team with a squad drawn from nations that didn't qualify. A six week training camp paid for by FIFA and a couple of warm up friendlies and they should be good to go.

[Duncan Gardner]

I don't think Bradley will have his career trajectory affected too greatly by being selected in an imaginary team that will never actually play any games (or do any training)

He is the best player in possibly the worst ever NI side*

[Duncan Gardner]

* 7'qualifying losses. Worse than 2004

[Satchmo Distel]

Can we also have an absent injured XI from the qualified nations or should that be another thread (and is it too early to know)?