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

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.

It 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).

So 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.

So 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.

Ozil 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.

And 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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