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Gareth Southgate said there was no need to speak to Phil Foden about being substituted just 12 minutes after coming on against Italy because the forward had accepted the reasoning.
“Subbing the sub” can appear the ultimate humiliation, especially in a high-profile match such as a European Championship qualifier, and especially as Foden could have felt unfortunate not to have started the game. But the 22-year-old immediately defused the situation.
“He came up to me and said ‘I know, I get it’ – he knew exactly what we needed to do,” Southgate said of his conversation with Foden as he left the pitch, while adding that it did not mean he felt the need to now start him in Sunday’s qualifier at home to Ukraine.
However, with Manchester City team-mate Jack Grealish – who Foden replaced in the 69th minute – having faded badly after a promising first half, it is likely that Foden will be selected in any case.
Foden was taken off following the dismissal of Luke Shaw, reducing England to 10 men for the final 15 minutes of the game, including added time, as they came under severe pressure from Italy, with Southgate wanting to bolster his defence by bringing on full-back Kieran Trippier.
“You obviously don’t want to do that [take a substitute off],” Southgate said. “But we needed to get the full-back on and we felt the change of the shape with them having to play around us but with enough bodies to deal with crosses but with wing-backs to stop those crosses was the right way to get around that.”
Southgate frustrated by Rashford’s absence
Southgate has spoken of the frustration around Marcus Rashford’s withdrawal after suffering another injury problem on England duty.
It was the fifth time in six non-tournament call-ups that the Manchester United forward has pulled out of international duty through injury. But there is hope at his club that he will be fit for the Premier League trip to Newcastle when club football returns.
“Well, the feeling was he was playing really well, but we haven’t often had him,” said Southgate. “So, in terms of a loss, when you haven’t had him that often then it’s different to being a loss. But without a doubt he was in good form. We were looking forward to seeing him.”
After missing a penalty in the Euro final shootout in 2021, Rashford did not play for England again until the World Cup last November, where he was in contention for the Golden Boot after three goals in the group stages.
But he was on the bench for England’s knockout games and came on for the last five minutes of the defeat to France in the quarter-finals.
What is the match?
It the second fixture of England’s qualification for next year’s European Championships. They are in Group C alongside Italy, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta.
The top two from each group will qualify for the final tournament, set to take place in Germany next summer.
When does the match take place?
Kick off is at 5pm on Sunday, 26 March.
Where is the match taking place?
The match is being hosted at Wembley Stadium in London.
What TV channel is it on?
It is being shown on Channel 4. Coverage starts at 6.15pm and will be hosted by Jess Breach.
What is the team news?
Last week Southgate named his squad. There were some notable omissions, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raheem Sterling, Callum Wilson and Jadon Sancho.
Subsequently, Nick Pope, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford have withdrawn from the sqaud.
Here’s the 26-man squad named by the England manager.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United)*, Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea)*, Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham United)
Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)*, Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford)
* Have withdrawn from the sqaud
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