Qatar 2022: Southgate names England World Cup squad

• Southgate names England World Cup squad
• England squad features
• Madison form commended
• Southgate: We believe we have everything covered

On November 21, England’s World Cup debut is against Iran (13:00 GMT). USA and Wales are their teammates in Group B.

Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, Callum Wilson of Newcastle, Kyle Walker of Manchester City, and Ben White of Arsenal are among the players that manager Gareth Southgate has chosen.

James Maddison, a midfielder for Leicester, has been selected for England’s 26-man World Cup roster in Qatar. Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan, Ivan Toney of Brentford, and Jarrod Bowen of West Ham are the only players that aren’t included.

Both Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City and Harry Maguire, a center-back who has had trouble getting a game for Manchester United this year, are in despite having just recently returned from two months out due to a shoulder injury.

England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Eric Dier (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Conor Coady (Everton), Ben White (Arsenal), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City)

Forwards: James Maddison (Leicester), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Madison’s form commended

The inclusion of Maddison is a reward for his outstanding performance for Leicester this year. He has six goals and four assists in 12 Premier League games and has been crucial to the Foxes’ comeback after a shaky start to the season. His only appearance for England occurred in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro over three years ago, when he played 35 minutes.

“He is playing really well,” said Southgate. “He is a good player. We have always said he is a good player. He has earned the right. We think he can give something slightly different from the other attacking players we have. “He is playing as well as any of the attacking players in this country and he is a bit different from the others.”

Southgate: We believe we have everything covered

After having groin surgery and going more than a month without playing, Walker has shown Southgate that he is healthy. Despite Phillips’ troubles with injuries this season, the England manager retains confidence in him.

The Carabao Cup match between Manchester City and Chelsea ended in a 2-0 victory for Manchester City, and Phillips, who underwent shoulder surgery, made his comeback as a substitute in the second half. Since Italy defeated England in the Euro 2020 final, Rashford hasn’t appeared for England, despite the Manchester United attacker scoring seven goals across all competitions this season.

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The England captain of Tottenham, Harry Kane, and Newcastle striker Wilson are the major alternatives for the Three Lions in the World Cup. Together, they have six goals in 10 games this season. Roma striker Tammy Abraham has been forgotten about, much like Brentford’s Toney and West Ham’s Bowen.

“We have wanted to make sure we have the balance of the squad right,” added Southgate.

“In this day and age squad is more important than ever with five substitutes. You want different options for different moments of matches and different stages of the tournament as well.

“We have had to cover a couple of players who do not fully match fit as well so having 26 players means you can take a couple of risks. We think the balance is there. We think we have everything covered.”