"They have got a lot to do to get back into the squad" - England manager Southgate sends out tough message to dropped Manchester United duo
England boss Gareth Southgate has stated that Manchester United forwards Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have a "lot to do" to get back into the national team.
Sancho and Rashford endured underwhelming campaigns for the Red Devils. They subsequently failed to make it into the Three Lions' squad for their ongoing UEFA Nations League fixtures.
In fact, Harry Maguire is the only United player to have been called up by Southgate this time around. However, Luke Shaw, who missed out due to injury, could still be in the reckoning as the England boss didn't pick a single left-back in his most recent squad.
Southgate was recently questioned about the chances of the Manchester United duo making it into his squad for this winter's FIFA World Cup. He responded (as quoted by Metro):
‘‘We’ve only got one with us! They’ve got a lot to do to get back in the squad.’’
Gareth Southgate on Rashford and Sancho: “They've got a lot to do to get back in the squad. We’ve only got one [Maguire] with us!” #MUFC
United finished a lowly sixth in the 2021-22 Premier League season, failing to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. Asked if not playing in the Champions League could help the club's players, Southgate replied:
‘‘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.’’
He continued:
‘‘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.’’
Rashford last played for the Three Lions in their UEFA EURO 2020 final defeat against Italy last summer. Sancho, meanwhile, donned the national team jersey for the last time during their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Andorra in September 2021.
England have since used the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka on the wings in the Manchester United duo's absence.
How did Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford perform for Manchester United in the 2021-22 season?
Rashford missed quite a few games for Manchester United at the start of the 2021-22 season to recover after undergoing shoulder surgery. He scored on his return in a 4-2 defeat at Leicester City, but struggled for the rest of the campaign.
The 24-year-old ended the season with just five goals from 32 matches across all competitions while starting only 18 games.
Sancho, meanwhile, was one of the headline transfers last summer. Manchester United paid Borussia Dortmund around £73 million (as per The Athletic) to secure his services.
BREAKING | Jadon Sancho completes his £73m switch to #MUFC, signing a five-year deal with an option for a sixth.
Sancho is the second most expensive English player of all time, behind only his new teammate Harry Maguire.
However, the 22-year-old struggled on his return to English football and playing under three managers in one season didn't seem to help his case. Sancho ended the campaign with just five goals and three assists in 38 matches across all competitions.