Harry Maguire set to start for England against Italy despite tough spell at Manchester United as Gareth Southgate’s stance becomes clear: Reports

England manager Gareth Southgate is prepared to ignore Harry Maguire's tough spell at Manchester United and hand him a start against Italy, according to The Athletic.

Erik ten Hag decided to retain Maguire as Manchester United's captain when he took charge of the club in the summer. He backed the defender by starting him in the team's first two Premier League games of the season.

However, the 29-year-old attracted severe criticism after the Red Devils lost to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in those matches. He was part of a team that conceded six goals against those sides.

Maguire has since been relegated to a place on the bench, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez taking over as Ten Hag's preferred centre-back partnership. Manchester United have remarkably won each of the four league games he has not started in.

However, Southgate is set to turn a blind eye to Maguire's struggles with the Red Devils ahead of England's upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. The centre-back has the manager's trust, according to the aforementioned source.

🚨 Harry Maguire in line to start for England v Italy in #NationsLeague. 29yo centre-back having tough spell at Man Utd but #ENG manager Gareth Southgate backing 1 of most trusted players. Maguire said to be confident + relaxed @TheAthleticUK #ITAENG #MUFC theathletic.com/3619121/2022/0…

The Three Lions are scheduled to lock horns with Roberto Mancini's Italy at San Siro today (September 23). Maguire is in line to earn a place in the starting XI, as per the report.

Southgate has Eric Dier, Marc Guehi, Conor Coady, John Stones and Fikayo Tomori in his ranks. However, Maguire seemingly remains his first-choice central defender ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

It is worth noting that the Nations League clash with Italy is England's penultimate match before the World Cup. Southgate's decision to back Maguire could thus mean the Red Devils defender will play a key role for the Three Lions in Qatar.

Manchester United skipper Maguire relaxed about his situation

Manchester United's Maguire has undoubtedly had a difficult start to his 2022-23 season. However, he is relaxed and confident about his situation with England if the report is to be believed.

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The former Leicester City man is one of the most experienced defenders at international level in Southgate's squad. He has also notably helped keep more clean sheets (34) than any other centre-back under the 52-year-old.

Maguire will thus be keen to prove his doubters wrong if he starts for England against Italy tonight. He will also be hopeful of featuring for the Three Lions against Germany next week.

The defender will turn his attention to regaining his place in the Manchester United starting XI when he returns from international duty.