England manager Gareth Southgate has officially announced his 25-man squad for the upcoming international break.
The Euro 2020 finalists will lock horns with Albania and San Marino as their World Cup qualification group draws to a close. Based on the table, the Three Lions are close to booking their place in Qatar next year.
To do that, the following 25 players will need to vindicate Gareth Southgate calling them up.
Confirming your #ThreeLions squad for November! ?
— England (@England) November 4, 2021
Beyond the spectrum of those playing in the next few weeks, we want to look at a few players who, surprisingly, didn’t make the cut.
Mason Greenwood
It’s been a tough start to the campaign for Manchester United, but as always, Mason Greenwood stands out amongst the pack as a constant attacking threat for Ole’s side. His form outside of the Premier League hasn’t been great, but in it, he’s found the back of the net four times in nine appearances.
When you consider how out of form some of England’s other forwards have been, he’d be right to feel aggrieved. Except Greenwood has told Gareth Southgate that he would rather focus on his club career than England for now.
Emile Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe has the sort of chaotic energy that always makes for a fun watch. The Arsenal youngster continues to serve as a shining light for a team who probably wouldn’t be in the top six without him.
He’s earned the chance to show Gareth Southgate what he’s been missing, and hopefully, he’ll continue to do so for the Gunners when the international break is over.
Ben White
England fans regard the inclusion of Tyrone Mings as a strange decision from Southgate. The reason for that is the form of Ben White. Arsenal took a giant leap of faith when signing him for such a hefty fee, but as you can tell, it’s paid off.
White has become a leader at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. If that isn’t a quality necessary for an England call-up, we don’t know what is.
Fikayo Tomori
It’s easy to get lost in what’s happening outside of the Premier League. Still, those who don’t watch Serie A have been missing out – mainly because of AC Milan. They’ve continued to push for the title even after last season, and Fikayo Tomori has been a defensive rock for them.
The 23-year-old is showing former club Chelsea what they’re missing, and he probably should’ve gotten the nod here.
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho was a force to be reckoned with in the Bundesliga, and everyone needs to recognise that. Alas, it’s an entirely different story for so many players when they make their way over to the Premier League.
Top performance from the boys!Always a honour to represent @England ?
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) October 9, 2021
2 ?️’s pic.twitter.com/ZyZBiRsreF
Sancho quite clearly has all the attributes you’d desire for a quick and creative attacking player. Unfortunately, he’s been one of United’s biggest disappointments up to this point, and Gareth Southgate made the right move.
Featured image credit: Getty