Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Jordan Henderson leave England’s squad, as the 21-year-old midfielder called up to the senior squad.
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Crystal Palace loanee Conor Gallagher has received his first England senior squad call-up, with manager Gareth Southgate having to deal with a number of absentees ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifier. On loan at Selhurst Park from Chelsea, the 21-year-old midfielder has been excellent this season. His impressive domestic form has not gone unnoticed. He has been rewarded by Southgate after scoring four goals and adding two assists for Palace this season. The Three Lions are currently dealing with several absences ahead of Monday’s World Cup qualifier in San Marino. England would need only one point from that match to secure their place at next year’s tournament in Qatar.
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish have returned to their respective clubs for further assessment on injuries. Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling will also miss the game, reportedly due to a personal matter. It is also believed that the injuries to Henderson and Grealish are not of major concern and the decision to send them back is more of a precautionary one.
After missing Friday’s 5-0 win over Albania, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw will no longer join up with the squad. The Chelsea midfielder seems to suffer the ill-effects from dental surgery, while the Manchester United left-back is recovering from a concussion.
Gallagher has represented England at every level from U17 upwards. He has also featured in the U-21s European Championship qualifying victory over Czech Republic on Thursday. England U-21 boss Lee Carsley has now called up Leeds forward Sam Greenwood to his squad ahead of their match with Georgia on Tuesday.
Gareth Southgate will hope to get the full cooperation of clubs, as he prepares for the challenge of playing a World Cup in between the domestic club season. The Premier League announced last week it will pause the season after the weekend of November 12-13 2022. The World Cup in Qatar will start just over a week later. The final of the World Cup will happen on December 18, with the Premier League season restarting again on Boxing Day.
“I think there’s a balance there because even with the internationals in the summer, there is the opportunity for three or four weeks of rest and potentially three weeks of pre-season,” Southgate was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “What’s important is that there is a break at the end of this season. Next season is unique. Normally we go into tournaments picking up the pieces at the end of a season, but this will be during the season.
“The unknown is what will happen with the tight turnaround after the last league matches. Sometimes when you pick up any injuries before summer tournaments, you can sometimes have a few weeks to get things right. That won’t be possible for any of the countries that qualify, so everybody is going to have to select their squad in a very short period of time. It is going to be key to get those decisions right.”
