England coach Gareth Southgate has not included Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a 25-man squad for games against Brazil and Belgium.
Loftus-Cheek is Milan’s best scorer in 2024, with seven goals in 13 appearances across all competitions. However, his impressive performances at the Stadio Meazza were not enough to earn him a spot in the Three Lions squad for upcoming matches against Brazil and Belgium.
Southgate’s decision is not surprising, given that the ex-Chelsea midfielder hasn’t played for England since 2018. However, he’s been more prolific than Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher and Tottenham’s James Maddison, who were included in the England squad instead.
Overall, RLC has eight goals and two assists in 32 appearances this term. Gallagher has four goals and seven assists in 37 matches, while Maddison scored four goals and provided eight assists in 19 matches for Spurs.
Southgate had previously snubbed another English player shining in Serie A, Loftus-Cheek’s teammate Fikayo Tomori. However, the ex-Chelsea centre-back has recently returned from a hamstring muscle injury that forced him to the sidelines for two months, so he there were no expectations he would be included in the English team.
Southgate has called up no Serie A representatives for the upcoming friendly encounters.
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
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