England manager Gareth Southgate warns fringe players over lack of playing time for clubs

Speaking after England’s 1-0 win over Switzerland on Tuesday night, Southgate admitted that picking players out of favour at club level was not ideal and ultimately not sustainable

Danny Welbeck is yet to establish himself under Arsenal’s Unai Emery (Getty)

Gareth Southgate has warned England’s fringe players that if they are still not playing for their clubs by October’s international break, he may have to drop them.

This month Southgate picked players – Fabian Delph, Danny Welbeck, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Marcus Rashford, Danny Rose – who are not automatic starters for their clubs. Speaking after England’s 1-0 win over Switzerland on Tuesday night, Southgate admitted that this arrangement was not ideal and ultimately not sustainable.

Southgate accepts that there is not much rotation in the first few weeks of the season, which is why Delph, Welbeck and Loftus-Cheek were picked on Tuesday despite not starting a game for their clubs yet. But there will be four sets of Premier League games, the third round of the League Cup and the first two Champions League rounds before the next international break in October. Southgate wants his fringe players to have played some of those seven by the time he picks his squad for the games in Rijeka and Seville next month. If they are still not playing, Southgate will have to pick players who are.

“They understand that it is difficult to pick players if we are seven, eight weeks into the season and they are not playing,” Southgate said of his fringe players. “I think they will this month: League Cup, Europa League or Champions League football will start to fit in. And even the biggest clubs will start to rotate a bit more. I am hopeful next month we have a slightly different situation.”

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Southgate picked players against Switzerland who had barely played club football. But Southgate said that could help to sharpen up the players to make them more ready to impress with their clubs if they do get a chance in the next few weeks.

“Over the next few weeks, we hope that as we have given them some minutes, they go back to their club better prepared for when they get their opportunity, and it gives them a better chance of staying in the team. They are going to have League Cup, and hopefully European football, so more opportunity that some of the squads will get rotated.”

Marcus Rashford starred for England but is on the fringes at Old Trafford (AFP/Getty Images)

If even by mid-October the England players are sat on the bench, picking them will be almost impossible. “If we are in a similar situation next month,” Southgate said. “Three weeks into the season is one thing, seven weeks into the season and they have not played it is even more complicated.”

Southgate accepts that he may even have to pick “lesser players” just because they are playing in the Premier League. Rather than his favoured players who are out of practice. “The problem we are faced is with do we pick lesser players who are up to speed? Or do we pick what we believe are the best players and accept that for some of the younger ones in particular they might have not had as much game time and we are going to have to asses that each time?”

Jack Butland, for example, is now playing in the Championship with Stoke City. And after not looking at his most assured on Tuesday night, Southgate said that he would be continually assessed because the quality of the Championship is not the same as in the top flight. There is no guarantee that he will hold onto his number two position for the October games.

“Like every other position we have to try to assess who our best performers are moving forward,” Southgate said. “In the Championship the quality of crossing that comes in, the quality of finishing isn’t the same level as the Premier League. He is a goalkeeper right the way through our system who has been a high performer. But for the size of the fee and other consequences he would probably be in the Premier League. I didn’t want to just discard him because of that. But like the other guys, there is a challenge on there. But that is the same in every position.”

Ultimately Southgate does not blame the Premier League managers for the decisions they made on selection. “The landscape is what it is, I understand the difficulties that club managers have. They have to try and win matches. They have to rotate their squads. Every decision you make as a manager has a knock-on effect. I understand how complicated that is. It is a difficult landscape for us. I have got to focus on the players we have and developing their spirit and hopefully a few go back with a few match minutes and when they get their opportunity with their club they will be more up to speed.”