Three Man United Stars Left Out as Gareth Southgate reveals he only called three players about England World Cup spots

On Thursday afternoon, the Three Lions manager revealed his 26-man travel group to Qatar.

Southgate spoke to the media after the announcement and said that he only called three players to discuss their spot in the group. Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, and James Maddison were the three players. Southgate also revealed that he called the players who did not reach the final 26.

“The only phone calls I’ve made are to the two players returning from injury [Phillips and Walker], the lads left out, and James [Maddison].”

“There just aren’t enough hours in the day to call everyone.”

Walker and Phillips’ inclusion raised eyebrows owing to their continuous fitness issues and lack of minutes.

Southgate explained his choice to pick the Manchester City pair, saying, “[I] wanted to make sure we had the proper mix of the group.” The roster is more significant; with five substitutes, you may change nearly half the team.

“You want a variety of alternatives for matches and tournament stages.”

“Having 26 available meant we were able to take a number of risks that we might not have been able to take with 23.”

Conor Gallagher was another significant talking point after the midfielder struggled to secure a starting spot for Chelsea.

Southgate, on the other hand, was full of praise for the 22-year-old. “He’s terrific at pressuring the ball,” he remarked. He doesn’t have as much experience as some of the others, yet he makes a difference in games. When considering midfielders, it is common to wonder if they stop goals, create goals, or score goals. He does a lot of everything.”

England will be trying to improve on their performance in the previous major competition. Last summer, they were heartbreakingly lost to Euro 2020 glory by Italy in a penalty shootout.

England is in Group B for the tournament in Qatar, along with Iran, Wales, and the United States. They will launch their campaign on November 21.