Ever since England were knocked out by Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals, Gareth Southgate has been focussing on how he can help the squad improve further. Fresh from signing a new contract which will see him remain as national manager until after the 2022 World Cup, he is now preparing for the next round of the UEFA Nations League. The matches are less than a fortnight away and big decisions need to be made.
Does Southgate bring Daniel Sturridge back into the fold? The striker has by far the best ratio of goals to minutes in the Premier League this season, yet Southgate may choose to assess the player’s fitness for a little longer before including him in the squad. His absence might create space for another in-form player. Jadon Sancho is flourishing at Borussia Dortmund and has the most assists of any player in Europe’s top five leagues this season. After the superb performance of Phil Foden in the Carabao Cup, the England manager may also be tempted to select Sancho’s former Manchester City team-mate. Perhaps promoting them would no longer be with one eye on the future, but both fixed on the present.
Sancho and Foden are only 18-years-old. Although their potential is unquestioned, Southgate may decide to wait until England play the US in a friendly match in November to hand the players their first caps. England’s next two fixtures are against Croatia and Spain and for these matches it would be understandable if Southgate chose to rely on the growing nous of the players who performed so well for him at the World Cup.
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