GARETH MAY STICK AT 23

Squad size dilemma for coach

GARETH SOUTHGATE will consider taking only 23 men to Qatar despite coaches pushing FIFA for up to 26 in a squad. Increased squad sizes were introduced ahead of Euro 2020 to combat the problems of losing players to the pandemic.

However, a meeting of the coaches ahead of theworld Cup 2022 draw in Doha on Friday showed a groundswell of countries wanting the increase kept in place for this squeezed competition, which will see teams playing every three days at times.

Southgate is against the plan as he is worried it leaves too many disaffected players around the camp who are not being picked.

The way around it, he feels, is to enable all 26 players to be on the teamsheet with a chance of playing, rather than being left on the sidelines.

Southgate said: “What everyone is saying is that if the squads are going to be bigger, then it needs to be a situation where everybody is able to change on a matchday.that was unanimous in the room.

“Whether a bigger squad is necessary? That was for Covid but there’s now people talking about the condensed fixtures.

“I still think it’s a bigger skill to pick a 23 and to work all that out. But that decision will be made and I suspect that it will be 26.”

England will play Iran on the first day of the tournament on November 21, then face USA on November 25 and will complete their group on November 29 against one of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine.

The frantic timetable means squads will stay in the same hotel for the entire competition and not travel between games, making it easy for those who realise they are not going to feature to become hard to manage.

Southgate said: “When you are picking a team, when you’ve got 11 who are happy and 15 who are disappointed that’s more of a challenge.that’s managing.”

And his radical solution was pioneered by Spain, who only named 24 for last summer’s Euros.

“That’s why you don’t have to take 26,” he said. “I know Luis Enrique didn’t last year.”