Gareth Southgate will hold talks with Marcus Rashford in an attempt to fully understand the slump in form that has resulted in the striker being dropped from the England squad.
Rashford and his Manchester United team-mate Jadon Sancho were the high-profile omissions from the manager’s 25-man party for the forthcoming matches with Switzerland and Ivory Coast at Wembley.
However, Harry Maguire, the United captain, has retained Southgate’s backing despite a worrying dip in his club performances. The Crystal Palace centre back Marc Guéhi was the one new face included by Southgate, while there was a recall for Arsenal’s Ben White.
The absence of Rashford, 24, represents another setback for the player who is experiencing the first protracted downturn of his career having also lost his starting place under Ralf Rangnick, the United interim manager.
Southgate spoke to Rashford before dropping the forward, who has frequently pulled out of England squads because of injury and who has managed only 320 minutes for the national team since November 2019.
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He plans to follow up that conversation with further discussions after the looming friendly double-header, which begins the countdown to England’s participation at the World Cup in Qatar in November. “I think Marcus is very realistic,” Southgate said. “He has not been getting in the United team consistently and he will be searching as much as anybody to get that form back.
“We know he is desperate to do well and maybe we can help a little bit with that. I think it is important, perhaps after this camp, for me to go and sit with him and find out a bit more about what is going on.
“From time to time I do go and do that with players, especially when a player is with us as often as he has been over a period of four years.
“But, you are right, in the last eight squads he has ended up pulling out of five, while Maguire has been in the team and a key part of the team for massive matches over a long period of time. I don’t see any logic in us leaving him [Maguire] out of a squad at this moment in time.”
The competition for places, with Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Raheem Sterling all selected, was the primary reason for Sancho’s continued exile. Sancho did not make the cut for the November games against Albania and San Marino and, while his club form has improved of late, Southgate made clear he wants more from the 21-year-old.
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“These boys are playing at a really high level so there is a big challenge for Jadon,” he said.
The Manchester City right back Kyle Walker was left out until the Nations League games in June to give an opportunity to Trent Alexander-Arnold, of Liverpool, and Chelsea’s Reece James. There remains a doubt over the fitness of some players with a check on James, who has not played for Chelsea since March 5 and did not travel to Lille for Wednesday’s Champions League victory, to be made over the weekend.
Southgate suggested that the Crystal Palace left back Tyrick Mitchell could be drafted into the squad for the first time in the event of injuries and was full of praise for team-mate Guéhi, who has been captaining England Under-21. He was preferred to AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori and Southgate said: “Marc has [been] consistent. I have been really impressed with him on and off the ball.”
England host Switzerland a week on Saturday before Ivory Coast visit Wembley a week on Tuesday.
England’s upcoming friendlies
March 26 v Switzerland, Wembley
March 29 v Ivory Coast, Wembley