Sinclair isn’t good enough for Southgate

GARETH SOUTHGATE has all but ended Scott Sinclair’s hopes of earning England recognition.

The England manager named a 26-man squad for games against Slovenia and Lithuania before admitting his injury crisis had prompted him to promote players unworthy of the honour.

Fabian Delph was recalled after just 20 minutes of top-flight action with Manchester City this season, while Jesse Lingard is yet to start a Premier League game for Manchester United.

Players from middle to front who are unavailable include Adam Lallana, Danny Welbeck and Ross Barkley. Yet dipping deep into his pool of reserves did not extend to Southgate looking across the border.

Brendan Rodgers has insisted that if Southgate wanted ‘a player of technique who provides a genuine goal threat’, then Sinclair would have to be a contender for caps.

However, the 28-year-old is considered a touch underneath the quality threshold Southgate is targeting to be part of his World Cup-bound squad.

‘I had a conversation with Brendan about him at the end of last season,’ said Southgate. ‘He’s a good player but we have good quality in that area of the pitch. And, at the moment, I think he is just below the level of what we have already got.’

Southgate’s men can clinch Group F and an automatic place in Russia by beating Slovenia at Wembley on Thursday.