Southgate reveals Newcastle concern, explains Gordon snub & namechecks Livramento
Gareth Southgate has revealed that Callum Wilson is the "biggest doubt" from all the players selected in his latest England squad, raising concerns about the hamstring issue that forced him off in Tuesday's 2-0 defeat in Dortmund.
He and Kieran Trippier were the only Newcastle players selected ahead of Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. Initially, Wilson's recall suggested he was OK and would be fit for Bournemouth on Saturday despite a 'tight hamstring', yet Southgate's comments suggest he could yet withdraw.
The England boss then explained why there was no Anthony Gordon in the squad, despite "playing very well" at Newcastle. He believes out wide is the area of the pitch where we have the most competition, with Jarrod Bowen scoring seven goals already this season. That said, why pick an out-of-form Marcus Rashford over Gordon?
On Tino Livramento, he added that the 20-year-old is "doing well", but feels the U21 side is the "right thing for him at the moment", despite this squad coming too soon for fellow right-back Reece James. Here's what Southgate has had to say on all of the above:
Southgate on Callum Wilson - "I couldn't be certain that everyone who's in that squad will be there on Sunday night.
"There are varying levels of doubt. Callum is probably the biggest doubt but, equally, I'm pretty confident the others can get through and they're all keen to be in the squad so that's a really good sign."
"Anthony Gordon is playing very well at Newcastle. Cole Palmer is starting to play well. It's just a changing landscape there."
Southgate on Tino Livramento / his options at right-back - "There is [depth], I was hoping to call up Reece James but he doesn't feel he's quite ready. I understand that, he's had a long path back from a number of injuries. He's probably a bit cautious in that respect, but I can understand why.
"We have got options, but there aren't perhaps the experienced options we might have in other areas of the pitch.
"Some of the younger full-backs are doing well - Tino Livramento has done well in his games for Newcastle, but being with the U21s is the right thing for him at the moment as well."
