Sessegnon in spotlight for England call

Southgate to see Fulham teenager face Burnley Hart also back on radar ahead of Uefa Nations

Gareth Southgate is considering calling up Ryan Sessegnon to the England squad and is to give Joe Hart another opportunity to be included as back-up goalkeeper.

The expectation remains that the England manager will turn to Southampton’s Alex Mccarthy as his third keeper to first choice Jordan Pickford – with Nick Pope out injured – and his understudy Jack Butland, but Southgate will take in Burnley’s trip to Fulham on Sunday to watch Hart.

Southgate will name his squad next Thursday for the Uefa Nations League fixture against Spain and the friendly against Switzerland, which are England’s first matches after the World Cup. He is mindful that he does not want to make too many changes, but will continue to give youth a chance.

Sessegnon, who can play at leftback, left wing-back or left wing, will be called up sooner or later and was under discussion for the World Cup squad before it was deemed the 18-year-old had played a lot of first-team football at Fulham last season and could do without the scrutiny of going to Russia.

Fulham have yet to be informed whether Sessegnon will be included in Southgate’s next squad, or if he will remain with England’s Under-21s, but it is interesting that the manager is going to Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Meanwhile, with Gary Cahill having not featured this season for Chelsea, who play Newcastle United away tomorrow, there is a vacancy in central defence.

Southgate is expected to call up Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, who would have gone to Russia had he not been injured. He impressed the watching Southgate in Liverpool’s win away to Crystal Palace.

Southgate will also want to run the rule over Burnley’s James Tarkowski, who was close to being included in the World Cup squad.

The England manager will attend Manchester United’s home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, along with his assistant, Steve Holland. Holland is also watching Southampton against Leicester City today, when he will check on Mccarthy and also Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell.

Holland will also be at Watford against Crystal Palace tomorrow but it is not expected that there will be significant changes to the squad that made the semi-finals in Russia.

Southgate eventually intends to include Sessegnon, Gomez, Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Leicester’s James Maddison. Ross Barkley, who is in Chelsea’s team, has also pressed his claim.

There is an expectation that Adam Lallana will be brought back into the squad, possibly at the expense of Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck, but he has yet to start for Liverpool.