Jadon Sancho has not been included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this month’s Nations League games against Italy and Germany - the final international break before the season pauses for the World Cup.
Sancho has netted twice for the Reds this season but has not done enough to convince the Three Lions boss to draft him back into his set-up. The 22-year-old has not played for his country since bagging two assists in a 5-0 win over Andorra in a World Cup qualifier last October.
Teammates Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have been named in the squad despite losing their first-team spots to Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia. Meanwhile, Dean Henderson - currently on loan at Nottingham Forest - gets his first call-up since being named in the England Euro 2020 squad.
READ MORE: Three Manchester United players included in England squad
Marcus Rashford misses out due to injury, a setback that keeps him out of United’s Europa League clash with Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday. Explaining his selection decisions, Southgate said: “There were certain players we wanted to keep involved this time, but that said it doesn’t mean that this is the end for some of the others who aren’t involved.
“Marcus Rashford, for example, has shown some encouraging signs recently. He is a player we know well so if he can perform at a high level in the next few weeks, he of course will be under consideration.”
United fans on Twitter have been left puzzled as to why Sancho has been snubbed again when he is a regular under Erik ten Hag, unlike Maguire and Shaw, who have been included. Many made comparisons between Sancho and Manchester City star Jack Grealish, who has underwhelmed this season but has made the cut for England’s squad.
@teamcristiano07: The most deserving misses it and Maguire and Shaw gets it.
@MuhammadElkabir: Southgate is just a confused manager, cos who picks Grealish and ignores Sancho based on current form.
@Nilabja14: Better option than Grealish.
@YYy71523379: Shaw has barely played this last month and he gets called up over Jadon?
@Yorkville89: What a joke.
@iamdapryme: That's a failed squad without Sancho and Rashford.
@Czooba: Fortunately, Sancho and Rashford missing out on Southgate's recent England squad is an advantage to Man United ahead of our stacked up Oct fixtures after the international break.
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