Southgate facing decision day on Toney and Walker
GARETH SOUTHGATE is facing a double selection dilemma over Ivan Toney and Kyle Walker.
The England manager was at Everton last Saturday to run the rule over the in-form Toney, who would ordinarily be a near-certain pick for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
But the Brentford striker is awaiting the outcome of 232 alleged breaches of the FA’s betting rules, which may lead to a long ban.Walker is facing a police probe after videos emerged online earlier this month of the Manchester City defender allegedly exposing himself in a bar.
The FA sayWalker’s case is a club matter, while Southgate is reluctant to pre-judge Toney ahead of his hearing.
Toney received an England call-up in September but did not win a cap, and he was then left out of the World Cup squad.
Southgate insisted he was not blocked from picking the forward for Qatar.
But it might have been that Southgate feared the impending case could have been a distraction.
Since then Toney’s form has got even better and he now has 17 goals this season.
Arsenal’s Ben White, who returned early from the
World Cup, is expected to miss out but defender Fikayo Tomori is likely to get a recall after playing well for AC Milan.
Southgate, who also saw Brentford’s Rico Henry in their 1-0 defeat by Everton, has made fitness checks on several players ahead of his squad announcement this afternoon.
The demanding schedule since theWorld Cup is taking its toll and one of the rising stars of the tournament, Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, has had to wear strapping on his left knee in recent weeks.
But despite the fixture pile-up and the demands of the season, Southgate is not expecting any sick notes.
The clash with Italy in Naples on March 23 and the home match with Ukraine at Wembley three days later are two of England’s toughest qualifying games.