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Gareth Southgate says, 'difficult to pick a squad' due to quality players

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Nov 18, 2018, 08:22 AM IST
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File photo of England manager Gareth Southgate. Photograph:(Reuters)

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England will face a winner-takes-all UEFA Nations League clash with Croatia on Sunday (November 18).

England's boss Gareth Southgate said that it is becoming very difficult to pick a squad due to the presence of extremely talented players in the team. While he also added that it's a "good sign" for the future of 'The Three Lions' because there is a competition for every single spot.

"Yeah, it's becoming increasingly difficult to pick a squad and increasingly difficult to pick a team and that's a really good sign because we have competition for places," said Southgate.

England will face a winner-takes-all UEFA Nations League clash with Croatia on Sunday (November 18).

It will give some idea of how far the team have come since they lost to the same opponents in the last four in the FIFA World Cup 2018.

"Some young players who've emerged since the summer and even with missing Kieran Trippier and Harry Maguire from the squad in the summer in particular, young players have come through and done well in those positions and in other positions so the only way to avoid complacency and keep driving performances I believe is to have that competition," he added.

World Cup finalists Croatia beat Spain on Thursday (November 15) to blow the Nations League Group A4 wide open, meaning victory for either Croatia or England at Wembley will seal top spot in the standings, and a place in the Nations League finals next year.

The victory will secure progress to next summer's Nations League Finals and a semi-final spot, while the defeated side will be relegated from the top tier after an exciting first edition of the previously derided competition.

A full house will greet the sides for the Group A4 finale, when England have the chance to exact revenge for the extra-time 2-1 defeat to Croatia in July's World Cup semi-final.