Gareth Southgate has introduced a policy in the England setup where players who are not featuring regularly for their club sides should not expect to keep their places when it comes to the national team.
Southgate brought his players together at a previous England meet-up and told them that he would not be as understanding as the previous regime when it comes to picking players who are not starting matches for their clubs on a regular basis.
That change in direction contributed to Nathaniel Chalobah’s thinking when he joined Watford from Chelsea in the summer and has also been a factor in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s decision to turn down a move to Stamford Bridge in favour of a transfer to Liverpool. Oxlade-Chamberlain believes he has a better chance of a regular starting role in central midfield at Anfield and that it could lead to him playing for England in his preferred position.
Southgate is not so wedded to the new policy that it means there will never be occasions when injuries and availability lead him to bending his own rules, one example being Luke Shaw’s call-up for the Germany friendly in March at a time when he was struggling to get a look-in at Manchester United.
However, Southgate’s message to the players has been clear, saying they need to be involved regularly in the Premier League if they want to go to the World Cup with England next summer and that he does not intend to include players who are not prominently involved for their clubs.
His team could guarantee their participation in Russia if they win their next two games and his squad for the qualifiers in Malta on Friday, followed by Slovakia’s visit to Wembley on Monday, reflects the manager’s thinking.
That policy has already had repercussions for Wayne Rooney’s international career and differs greatly from Roy Hodgson’s stance when it became the norm for England to feature players who had been reduced to a fringe role at their clubs.
Of Southgate’s initial 28-man party, Chris Smalling of Manchester United is the only player who has not started a Premier League fixture so far this season. Smalling was made available for transfer at Old Trafford during the summer, and though a move never materialised, his club situation will duly influence Southgate’s thinking at a time when Phil Jones has re‑established himself in the centre of José Mourinho’s defence.
Jones has started all three of United’s league fixtures and is more likely to start against Slovakia, the team second in Group F, in the qualifying fixture that could present England with the opportunity to confirm their place in the World Cup with two games to spare. England need to win both their games while hoping Slovakia do not beat Slovenia on Friday.