Justin Rose makes European Ryder Cup team prediction ahead of BMW PGA Championship

England's Justin Rose is expecting European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald to have at least "three fresh faces" when the blue and gold take on the United States next September at Adare Manor.

The 2027 Ryder Cup is 367 days away, but Donald's side are already beginning their preparations.

On Monday, 16 golfers played 18 holes at the host venue and grabbed dinner.

Footage posted by Ryder Cup Europe on social media suggested Rory McIlroy was the notable absentee.

The new blood included young Spanish duo Eugenio Chacarra and Angel Ayora, while Matthew Fitzpatrick's younger brother Alex and Denmark's Kristoffer Reitan were also in attendance.

"I think freshening it up a little bit would be a good thing," Rose told reporters ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Rose, who has made seven appearances in the Ryder Cup since 2008, has never won the DP World Tour's flagship event.

"You want your team to be experienced, but to have some fresh energy is always great, whether that be ideas, style of game, pairing options," he said.

"To change it up is a good thing.

"I'd imagine that you'd look at three being sort of like the spread, I would say, maybe three new faces, maybe two and a half new faces.

"I don't know if three is a lot and two is too many, but it's sort of in that ballpark. There's plenty of opportunity for guys to break through."

Captain Donald only made one change from the European team that triumphed over the United States in 2023.

Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard was replaced in the line-up by his twin brother Rasmus last September at Bethpage Black.

"I think the transition from Whistling Straits into Rome was fantastic, and I think that only strengthened into solidifying some of those players that stepped into that role into Bethpage," said Rose.

"There's so many good young players, like the Hojgaards, Ludvig [Aberg], even Bob [MacIntyre].

"Those guys are now real stalwarts of the team going forward."

Donald will be attempting to become the first captain to win the Ryder Cup three times in a row.

He was named captain after Henrik Stenson was stripped of the honour after bolting to LIV Golf.

Donald is the first European captain to serve three consecutive terms since Bernard Gallacher between 1991 and 1995.

"I think that Luke has used the captaincy so incredibly well to sort of grow as an individual and so impressively so," Rose said.

"I think that he has really taken on that leadership role with all that he's got.

"I think he's really challenged himself to read up about leadership, to surround himself by great people.

"I'm sure he's learned so much along the way, and he's just been such a steady, safe, and calm pair of hands but so well-versed.

"I think he's created a lot of trust because of that.

"As a player and maybe as a character, he's sort of naturally introverted, which maybe wouldn't be your preconceived idea to sort of think what a leader is all about, but I think what Luke brings is that calm, steady, very much meticulous approach that served him so well with his own career.

"Yet he's sort of found it within himself to become incredibly inspiring as well, which I think is a great combination."

Which players were spotted at Adare Manor?

Ludvig Aberg
Angel Ayora
Eugenio Chacarra
Alex Fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tommy Fleetwood
Tyrrell Hatton
Nicolai Hojgaard
Viktor Hovland
Shane Lowry
Robert MacIntyre
Alex Noren
Jon Rahm
Kristoffer Reitan
Justin Rose
Sepp Straka