Gareth Southgate has named his 26-man England squad for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar and there were some noticeable omissions.
The likes of Jadon Sancho, James Ward-Prowse, Tammy Abraham and Joe Gomez were all left out, but the one that made England fans scratch their heads was the decision to leave out AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori.
Tomori struggled to impress when he was a Chelsea player but managed to put in some impressive displays whilst on loan at the San Siro. As a result, his loan move was made permanent last summer.
Since the start of last season, no English centre-back has made more successful tackles than Tomori. However, that was not enough for him to earn a place on the plane to Qatar.
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Instead, Southgate opted for the likes of Harry Maguire, Conor Coady, Ben White, John Stones and Eric Dier.
On his selection, Southgate said: “We don't think the young ones [centre-backs] have done quite enough to push the older ones out.
“Yes, I’m sure Harry Maguire is one of our best centre-backs.”
This decision by the Three Lions boss will raise eyebrows for sure, especially because of the players that got in ahead of the Milan player. Maguire in particular is a player who arguably doesn’t deserve a place in the squad.
It is true that he has rarely put a foot wrong in an England shirt, however, his recent form has been non-existent due to the fact that he isn’t even first-choice at his club, Manchester United. He has spent most of the season on the bench as Erik ten Hag often opted for the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane or Victor Lindelof.
Everton man Coady is another questionable call, despite the Toffees having the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, Frank Lampard’s side have generally struggled.
On average, Everton conceded 17 shots per game, which is more than any other team in the top flight.
Tomori has been a key part of Milan’s defence this season as they look to defend their Serie A title.
Fans have also been shocked about Tomori’s exclusion.
One said: “Tomori is just unfair, I hope Southgate gets sacked.”
Another added: “What does Tomori have to do to get an England call-up?? Can’t wait for Southgate to get sacked.”
Do you agree with Southgate's England squad? Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Fikayo Tomori, England, Football World Cup, AC Milan
Marcus Chan