England manager, Gareth Southgate, has told Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho that they “have a lot to do” to get back into the Three Lions squad for the World Cup.
The Manchester United attackers who endured a poor season have not been in the last two England squads and are running out of time to get their places back for Qatar.
Their United teammate Luke Shaw is also in a similar position after falling out of favour under Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford but also missed the end of the season through injury.
The trio were part of the England squad that narrowly missed out on the 2020 European Championship, but a lack of form and fitness has seen them lose their place. Although injury has been a significant factor in their absence from the squad, manager Southgate has clarified that they are not just absent because of that.
Speaking to reporters about the fortunes of the Manchester United players, including teammate Harry Maguire Southgate, revealed that they have little chance of breaking into the first team;
When asked whether United being out of the Champions League would ease the workload of Man United players, Southgate replied:
“They’ve got a lot to do to get back in the squad. We’ve only got one [Maguire] with us! Well, look, I think the lower the load then of course the less likely for injuries and the hope that players can be that little bit sharper, but there’s no way of knowing.
“Some players are at their best when they’re in a rhythm of playing and you talk to some of our lads now and they want to play every game because that’s how they feel they get to their best level. Others need the breaks. They need longer recovery between the matches to be at their best.”
