Gareth Southgate has warned Manchester United wingers Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford that they must improve to get back into the England setup.
Sancho had a slow start to the season but has exploded back into form in recent weeks, bagging two goals and three assists in his last six Premier League games, but that wasn't enough to earn him a spot in Southgate's latest England squad.
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When asked to justify his selection, Southgate stressed that Sancho needs to maintain his form before he will be considered for a recall.
"The other attacking players in the squad are slightly ahead of him at the moment in our feeling," Southgate told a press conference. "You can see the names there: Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Jack Grealish, if you look at the seasons they've had.
"Jadon, without a doubt over the last few weeks, his performances have improved for Manchester United, but it's an area of the field where we have real competition for places and at the moment, those guys are slightly ahead."
On Rashford, whose form has dipped this season, Southgate admitted he is in the same boat.
"He's in the same position as everyone else," the boss explained. "They've all got to play well over the next period at the end of this season and the beginning of the next season.
"It's a difficult time for him. He's clearly not at his best but there's plenty of time. We know a lot about Marcus anyway, we know what he can bring to us, and hopefully he can rediscover that form that we know he's capable of."
Source : 90min