Raheem Sterling has been dropped by Gareth Southgate for England’s vital Group A clash with Montenegro on Thursday.
The England manager has decided to leave the star forward out following an altercation with team mate Joe Gomez. The two players clashed in Liverpool’s win over Manchester City at the weekend, and it’s been reported that Sterling continued the feud as the players reported for international duty.
England are in pole position to qualify from Group A. The Three Lions lost their first qualifying game in 10 years against Czech Republic, but bounced back with an impressive 6-0 victory against Bulgaria in testing circumstances.
Southgate’s side can celebrate qualification for Euro 2020 if they don’t lose on Thursday. England are three points clear at the top of Group A, and require just a single point from their final two qualifiers to secure their place at the finals.
England have been scoring goals for fun recently. They are averaging over four goals per game this campaign, having netted 26 times in six matches. They also boast the best defensive record in the group.
On the other hand, Montenegro have endured a wretched qualifying campaign. They have only managed to pick up three points and have scored just three goals in the process. A record of W0/D3/L4 leaves them level with Bulgaria at the bottom of Group A.
England thrashed Montenegro 5-1 in the reverse fixture. Marko Vesovic gave Montenegro a surprise lead. However, a Ross Barkley brace, along with goals from Michael Keane, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling wrapped up a comfortable victory.
With Raheem Sterling sidelined, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford will both be hoping for a place in the starting line-up. John Stones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have returned into the international fold, while James Maddison will be keen to pick up his long-awaited first cap.
Montenegro will be without star striker Stefan Jovetic as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury. The Monaco forward is the country’s record goalscorer, and he has been sorely missed in recent months.
Despite unrest behind the scenes, England should cruise to a comfortable victory on Thursday. Montenegro have nothing to play for, while the Three Lions will want to secure their place at Euro 2020 with a resounding win.
Forebet predicts that England will hammer Montenegro, with over 3.5 goals and a clean sheet for the home side.