November 13 – England’s in-form Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has been dropped from the squad to face Montenegro in their Euro 2020 qualifier at Wembley on Thursday after a clash in training with teammate Joe Gomez.
“The FA can confirm Raheem Sterling will not be considered for Thursday’s EURO 2020 qualifier against Montenegro as a result of a disturbance in a private team area at St. George’s Park today,” the FA said in a statement.
The altercation between Sterling and the Liverpool defender took place less than 24 hours after the top-of-the-table clash between their respective clubs during which the two players squared up in the latter stages.
“We have taken the decision to not consider Raheem for the match against Montenegro on Thursday,” said England manager Southgate.
“One of the great challenges and strengths for us is that we’ve been able to separate club rivalries from the national team. Unfortunately the emotions of yesterday’s game were still raw,” he added.
“My feeling is that the right thing for the team is the action we have taken. Now that the decision has been made with the agreement of the entire squad, it’s important that we support the players and focus on Thursday night.”
Sterling has become one of the best players in the country and last season scored 25 goals in all competitions as City won a domestic treble of the Premier League title and the two domestic cup competitions.
Sterling said he has settled his differences with Gomez. “We are in a sport where emotions run high and I am man enough to admit when emotions got the better of me,” he said.
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