Rash decision for Southgate
GARETH Southgate will turn to Marcus Rashford when he names his England squad today following injuries to Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney.
The England manager had planned to continue to nurture the Manchester United striker with the Under-21 squad ahead of the European Championship in Poland in the summer, but is lacking resources up front for the senwior side’s matches against Germany and Lithuania.
Rashford has not scored in the league since September and Southgate had planned to explore other options after selecting him for three of his four internationals in charge as a caretaker manager.
However, Kane’s ligament damage plus an injury sustained by Rooney in a trainingground collision with Phil Jones, added to the long-term absence of Daniel Sturridge, means it is all hands to the pump, with a recall also anticipated for Andy Carroll. Danny Welbeck is short of match fitness, meaning Jamie Vardy’s return to goalscoring form could not be better timed as Southgate prepares for his first game as permanent boss. NIGEL PEARSON has applied for the vacant Norwich job as Celtic talent spotter David Moss emerged as a contender for a key role at Carrow Road.
Pearson, right, who left Derby in October after less than five months in charge, is expected to be interviewed, but his abrasive style is unlikely to suit owner Delia Smith, who has ruled out a move for Alan Pardew. JEFFERSON MONTERO has declared himself fit and ready to aid Swansea’s survival bid after recovering from hand and hamstring injuries. The winger made his comeback for the Under-23s on Monday and could return for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth. “Mentally I am strong,” said Montero, left. “I’m determined to fight my way back into the team and play my part in helping the club stay up.” PEP GUARDIOLA’S proud Champions League record is over as free-scoring Monaco confirmed all his worst fears.
The Manchester City boss had never failed to reach the semi-finals of the competition with former clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But Guardiola feared his team would not be able to hold Europe’s highest scorers despite a two-goal lead – and he was proved right.
Monaco wiped out City’s advantage after less than half an hour thanks to goals from wonder boy Kylian Mbappe and Fabinho.
And although Leroy Sane pulled a goal back in the second half that would have put City into the last eight, Tiemoue Bakayoko headed home Thomas Lemar’s free-kick to clinch it on away goals in a 6-6 draw. The game started in the IN MONTE CARLO same frantic fashion as the first leg with Monaco on the front foot. It took them less than half an hour to wipe out City’s twogoal lead from the first leg.
The warning bells were ringing when Fernandinho’s mistake saw Mbappe burst through and it took a fine save from Willy Caballero to push away his goalbound shot.
But City’s relief was short-lived with the home side soon going ahead. John Stones did well initially to block Benjamin Mendy’s cross but Bernardo Silva sent the loose ball back into the six-yard box, where Mbappe turned his shot home.
A couple of Monaco players looked in offside positions at the far post but referee Gianluca Rocchi clearly felt they were not interfering.
Mbappe had the ball in the net again with a tremendous finish into the far corner but this time, to City’s huge relief, he was correctly flagged offside.
Such was the intensity of the pressure, it was no great surprise when Leonardo Jardim, right, saw his side get a second goal in the 29th minute.
Again it came from the left flank, this time Mendy, on the overlap, taking Silva’s pass before cutting the ball back for Fabinho to apply a clinical first-time finish. A 2-0 win was enough to put them through on away goals but there was no way Monaco were going to sit on their lead. They were like men possessed and when City did threaten Andrea Raggi and Jemerson made timely challenges to stop Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, and Guardiola was just happy to reach the break only two down and get a chance to try to reorganise. City finally got a foothold in the game and started to string some moves together early in the second half. Raheem Sterling worked his way into a threatening position but Raggi made a vital interception to prevent his pass from reaching Aguero, who was set to pounce. City stepped up the pressure but Aguero’s usual killer touch deserted him when presented with two clear-cut chances. First he lifted a close-range chance over the bar from Sane’s centre. Then he saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Daniel