Gareth Southgate is to sign a new contract to remain England’s manager through to the 2022 World Cup and, with injuries and fitness issues eating into his options, will consider a first call-up for Leicester City’s James Maddison for the Nations League ties in Croatia and Spain.
The new deal was ratified by the Football Association board last week and will take Southgate’s wage from around £1.8m to nearer £3m a year, reflecting his achievement in guiding England to a first World Cup semi‑final in 28 years. The 48-year-old’s contract was due to expire after the 2020 European Championship and, while never agitating for better terms, he had always been keen to stay.
The extension will be confirmed at St George’s Park on Thursday as he names his squad for the daunting fixtures this month. Dele Alli has been ruled out with hamstring trouble and there are doubts over Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard, who has a groin complaint and missed the weekend defeat at West Ham and the Champions League draw with Valencia on Tuesday. England’s medical staff have been kept in the loop and are also monitoring the availability of Adam Lallana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The Chelsea midfielder is expected to start his first club game of the season against the Hungarian champions, Vidi, in the Europa League on Thursday, having returned from the last international break with a shin complaint that required an injection. The 22-year-old has played more minutes for his country than his club this season and that lack of game time is a concern to Southgate. Lallana hurt his groin training with the national side before the defeat against Spain last month and, while he is back in training at Liverpool, is short of match fitness.
That could open the door to Maddison, whom Southgate watched in Leicester’s win at Newcastle United on Saturday. The 21‑year‑old, a £22m signing from Norwich City this summer, has scored three goals in seven top-flight appearances and could step up from the under-21s. Harry Winks, restored to fitness at Tottenham Hotspur, is also under consideration.
Alex McCarthy is struggling with a hamstring injury and his absence could see Jack Butland retained with Fulham’s Marcus Bettinelli behind Jordan Pickford as goalkeeping options. Joe Hart is unlikely to earn a recall despite his excellent form at Burnley. Daniel Sturridge and the Wolves captain, Conor Coady, have made a favourable impression in recent weeks.
Southgate will make a final assessment on Thursday morning following the completion of this round of Champions League fixtures but is likely to be more experimental in his selection for next month’s return against Croatia and the friendly against USA. His backroom staff for those fixtures will be bolstered by the arrival of the Brighton & Hove Albion coach Paul Nevin as part of the FA’s initiative to place BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) coaches in all England squads.
The former international defender Sol Campbell will work with Aidy Boothroyd’s under-21s while Terry Connor, the former Wolves manager, will join the junior set-up for the games against Andorra and Scotland this month.
