Raheem Sterling has been left out of the England squad selected by The Three Lions coach Gareth Southgate.
The 28-year-old veteran Chelsea winger was not selected to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming matches against Ukraine and Scotland.
The England national team, known as the Three Lions, will be traveling to Poland for a qualifying match against Ukraine on September 9 for the upcoming Euros.
Following that, they will have a friendly match against Scotland in Glasgow, on September 12, which will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first game played between the two national teams.
However, despite Raheem Sterling’s promising form under Pochettino, the England boss, Gareth Southgate has chosen not to recall him.
The 28-year-old has emerged as the top performer for the Blues during the initial weeks of the season.
Sterling has had an exceptional start to the season for Chelsea having netted two goals and provided an assist in their victory over Luton Town last week.
In addition, Sterling has displayed excellent skills and posed a significant threat while playing on the right side for the Blues.
However, Southgate has decided to omit Sterling while mentioning that he was not selected for the team due to the tough competition.
Sterling, who has earned 82 caps for the England national team, has been absent from the last three International matches with the previous two due to injury.
Gareth Southgate speaks on Sterling’s omission
The England boss, Gareth Southgate has opened up on why he has decided to drop Raheem Sterling out of the England national team’s squad.
Southgate explained that Sterling was not available for the last two matches and of course that has given other people the opportunity to play well and establish themselves in the group.
Regarding the exclusion of Sterling, Southgate stated: “We were highly satisfied with the team as a whole, and to reintegrate Raheem, we had to make the difficult decision of leaving someone out.
“However, we felt that none of the attackers deserved to be excluded.”
“It’s great to witness Raheem’s strong start to the season. He appears determined and serves as a crucial player for our team. However, we have a significant amount of competition for positions in the areas behind the No9.”
“He was not available for the last two groups. It has provided others with the chance to excel and make a name for themselves.”
Southgate admitted that the omission was a difficult call and Raheem isn’t particularly happy about it but he believes he will have a good season at Chelsea.
He added: “Raheem is not particularly happy about it, and I understand his sentiment. However, I firmly believe that he will have an exceptional season at Chelsea.”
Meanwhile, Southgate has granted first call-ups to Chelsea’s defender Levi Colwill, and Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.
Lewis Dunk, Fikayo Tomori, Eberechi Eze, and James Maddison were also given opportunities once again.
Despite moving to Saudi Arabia, Jordan Henderson retained his spot, while Harry Maguire was selected once again, despite not having played this season.
Raheem Sterling breaks silence on his exclusion from the team
Raheem Sterling has recently spoken out after being excluded from the England squad.
He expressed his thoughts through a statement that seemed to carry a clear message directed toward the England coach Gareth Southgate.
The 28-year-old player has made a strong impression in the initial weeks of the season for Chelsea, managing to score two goals in three games.
However, he was not selected to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming matches against Ukraine and Scotland.
A statement from Sterling’s camp regarding his exclusion from the team stated: “Raheem will defer to the coach for any comments, but he wants to emphasize that he respects the decision.”
“Raheem will maintain his focus on his performance in domestic competitions.”
England squad list in full
GOALKEEPERS: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
DEFENDERS: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
MIDFIELDERS: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
FORWARDS: Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)
What’s your take on Sterling’s omission from the England’s squad despite his promising form this season?
