Wayne Rooney has claimed he wouldn’t start Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling in the England side at the World Cup.
Sterling, along with Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, were confirmed yesterday as the Chelsea representatives in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
The Three Lions boss named his 26-man squad that will be travelling to Qatar ahead of the winter World Cup, which starts later this month.
Sterling and Mount were two dead certs everybody expected to be in the final squad, but it was a nice surprise for Gallagher to get a call-up. Southgate showered the 22-year-old Blues talent with praise after making the decision.
Rooney wouldn’t start Sterling
England legend Rooney admits he wouldn’t actually pick Sterling in the starting XI, but would look towards him as an option from the bench.
When asked to select his front three for England, Rooney told talkSPORT (9:10am, 11 November): “[Phil] Foden, [Bukayo] Saka and Harry Kane… You’ve got the likes of [Marcus] Rashford and Sterling to come on and have an impact.”
Sterling was England’s standout individual at the most recent major international tournament, starring in the Euro 2020 campaign that concluded with a runners-up finish.
The 27-year-old attacker started well this season following his move to Chelsea from Manchester City, but his own form has dropped off a tad recently.
He’s got five goals in 17 appearances across all competitions this season. Is that enough for Southgate to pick him in England’s World Cup opener against Iran on 21 November, though?
It would be a very brave call to leave out left-winger Sterling when you consider how vital he’s been in England colours.
There’s no doubt captain Harry Kane loves to link up with him at the top end of the pitch, so it would be a risk disrupting a settled combination.
However, both Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are deserving of a starting position when you look at their respective form this season.
Many England fans will be crying out for Southgate to ditch the back three system and move to a formation that makes room for an extra attacker on the pitch.
Chelsea fans should hope Sterling can sign off before the World Cup with a top performance tomorrow against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
