Chelsea star issued 'trust' instruction amid Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford England reasons
Former Premier League winger John Barnes has claimed that England manager Gareth Southgate must be trusted over his squad selection decisions after he snubbed Chelsea star Raheem Sterling for the fifth successive time.
The Blues forward, who has undoubtedly been playing his best football since arriving at Stamford Bridge last season, was once again left out of the Three Lions squad as they prepare to face Malta and North Macedonia in their 2024 Euro qualification campaign. It means the star will have to stay at Cobham with manager Mauricio Pochettino once again in order to keep his fitness up over the international break.
He already has five goals and two assists so far this season, including a brace in a 3-0 win over Luton Town back in August and was heavily involved in the 4-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor. His sharp uptake in form didn't stop there though, as he's now netted twice in his last three appearances including against his former side Manchester City over the weekend in the dramatic 4-4 draw.
With just one more international break between now and the Euros kicking off next summer, the England boss was quick to explain his decision, with him confirming that the 28-year-old is not entirely shut out of the squad just yet. He said: «The door is 100 per cent open not only for Raheem but also other players who aren't in this squad.
»We don't need to know about his quality, his personality. He is a crucial part of the journey we've been on. It's an area of the pitch where we have as much competition as anywhere.
«Bowen has started the season well. Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer are doing well. It's a changing landscape there. We used to not have wingers, that's why we used wing-backs in Russia. We have a lot of depth
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