Gareth Southgate has named his England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast, and it has once again divided opinion.
But who was overlooked, and who was will be celebrating their inclusion this evening?
101 takes a look.
Loser: Fikayo Tomori
First up is AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori, who has made 22 appearances thus far this season, helping his side to top Serie A in the process. Tomori has impressed all who have watched him with his ability on the ball and his defensive awareness, helping Stefano Pioli’s side keep nine clean sheets so far this season.
His form is certainly above others including in the squad, such as Tyrone Mings and even Harry Maguire, and it continues to raise questions as to whether those in the Premier League are favoured compared to other leagues.
AC Milan’s English defender Fikayo Tomori celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs AC Milan on May 09, 2021 at the Juventus stadium in Turin. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Loser: Jadon Sancho
One that can consider himself unlucky not to have returned to the squad following his exclusion in the last international break, Jadon Sancho’s form has improved significantly since November and has been on few bright sparks for Ralf Rangnick’s side.
When asked about his continued omission, Southgate pointed to the quality of those already in the squad, saying: “The other attacking players in the squad are slightly ahead of him at the moment; Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe, Jack Grealish.”
While it is perhaps a fair comment by the England boss, Sancho will still feel a little hard done by.
Loser: Marcus Rashford
To cap off a miserable week for Marcus Rashford after his performance against Atletico Madrid, the Englishman has been dropped by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming friendlies, amid uncertainty around his future.
His season so far has yielded just five goals, and he has looked well out of place in Manchester United’s new system under Rangnick, so being dropped is no great surprise. It will still sting, though, especially after the pain of last time he appeared for the Three Lions.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 06: A dejected Marcus Rashford of Manchester United at full time during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on March 6, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Winner: Harry Maguire
Given his club form, it is frankly a miracle that Harry Maguire has been selected over some of the other names in the reckoning. It has been an awful season for the Manchester United captain, who has had a series of performances littered with mistakes under Rangnick that have cost his side points.
For England, however, he has been a reliable performer. While there was little doubt about his inclusion, there could be should his form continue to drop.
Winner: Emile Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe was only a late call-up to the last England squad, but clearly did enough in that camp to show himself worthy enough to be in this one from the off.
He has not played a lot for Arsenal since November, often used as an impact sub by Mikel Arteta, but his future is undeniably bright. Can perhaps count himself lucky to be in this squad given his game time, however.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 19: Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal celebrates after scoring their side’s first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Brentford at Emirates Stadium on February 19, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Winner: Marc Guehi
What a moment for young Marc Guehi, who took quite the risk moving from Chelsea to Crystal Palace, but it has paid off massively.
Eight Clean sheets under Patrick Vieira has solidified his claim to be in the England squad, and the risk has been rewarded with a potential debut.
Whether he will be able to get a look in over the other defenders in the squad remains to be seen.
A first senior call up for Marc Guéhi 🙌
Here’s what the boss had to say about the youngster’s inclusion in our squad for March: pic.twitter.com/XyYa6R7wdf
— England (@England) March 17, 2022
