Hart fears he’s set for the boot
GARETH Southgate is giving serious consideration to axing Joe Hart and selecting Jack Butland as his goalkeeper for the World Cup double-header against Malta and Slovakia.
While the England manager will assess both goalkeepers in training this week before making a final decision, he is understood to be leaning towards the 24-year-old Stoke City No 1.
Hart is the man in possession, having started England’s last World Cup qualifier against Scotland in June.
But a difficult start to the season at West Ham has done little to ease concerns over Hart’s form when it is 23 club games since he last kept a clean sheet.
Butland, by contrast, has enjoyed a decent start to the new campaign, with Southgate watching him help Stoke secure an impressive 1-0 defeat of Arsenal.
Last week Southgate acknowledged the intensity of the competition for the England goalkeeping spot and he also recognises the need to give someone like Butland more international experience ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
Butland has only five caps, his last start coming in a friendly against Germany in March 2016 when he suffered a serious ankle injury.
Tomorrow’s match in Malta seems like a good opportunity to recall Butland when opponents so lacking in quality and also undermined by a number of suspensions to key players should pose few problems to Southgate’s side.
The meeting with Slovakia on Monday, while a more difficult test, could also provide valuable experience as it could mark England’s qualification for Russia 2018 should other results go their way.
Southgate is certainly a big admirer of Butland, having selected him as his captain when he was in charge of England’s Under 21 side.
Southgate is also eager to appoint a permanent captain following Wayne Rooney’s shock international retirement.
Southgate previously indicated he wouldn’t select a full- time skipper, instead choosing to share the armband around a group of influential players.
The national team manager has named five different captains since taking over from Sam Allardyce: Rooney, Gary Cahill, Joe Hart, Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane.
But Southgate is understood to now want to appoint a permanent skipper, acknowledging his squad would benefit from having a recognised figurehead. Kane and Henderson are the two leading contenders for the armband.
The choice of captain for tomorrow’s match will provide a huge indicator as to who Southgate is likely to appoint on a full-time basis.
Southgate has warned his players they have to be getting regular football this season to be assured of a place in his World Cup plans.
He has already shown he is prepared to axe players from his squad who are not playing regularly after Rooney was omitted due to his lack of action at Manchester United last season.