"It's one thing to train, but it's another to have a regular routine of games" - Gareth Southgate told to drop 2 England stars by ex-Three Lions manager Sven-Goran Eriksson

Former England head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has urged current Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate to drop Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.

The Manchester United duo were surprise inclusions in Southgate's 26-man roster for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. Both Maguire and Shaw have featured extremely sparingly for the Red Devils this season and don't seem to be the first-choice options for manager Erik ten Hag.

Eriksson believes the duo need to play regularly to warrant a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad. The Swede, who oversaw 66 matches as England head coach between 2001 and 2006, recently said (as quoted by the Daily Mail):

"I think it's difficult for Southgate to pick Maguire and Shaw because if they don't play regularly, it's very difficult to let them play in the national team because it's one thing to train, but it's another to have a regular routine of games. So that's a difficult one."

Maguire has started just three times for Manchester United across all competitions this season. Ten Hag's men have notably suffered defeats on all three occasions. The centre-back seems to be firmly behind Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the pecking order.

Shaw, meanwhile, has had to contend with injury issues and has seen his spot taken up by summer arrival Tyrell Malacia. The Englishman started United's first two Premier League matches and was hooked off at half-time during the 4-0 loss against Brentford.

Shaw didn't feature in their next five matches across competitions. He came on as a substitute during their final match before the international break, a 2-1 win against Sheriff Tiraspol in the UEFA Europa League.

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England will face Germany and Italy in final two fixtures before the FIFA World Cup

England will compete in two high-profile Nations League matches in the ongoing international break. They will mark the Three Lions' final two games before this year's FIFA World Cup kicks off in Qatar in November.

Southgate's team will take on Italy in a replay of the UEFA EURO 2020 final on September 23 at the San Siro. England will enter the game after suffering a harrowing 4-0 defeat against Hungary in their most recent fixture.

Following that fixture, the Three Lions will meet Germany on September 26 at Wembley.

Both the Azzurri and Die Mannschaft are notably ahead of the English team in their Nations League group. Germany are in second place after picking up a win and three draws from their four matches while Italy are third with a win, two draws and a defeat. England, meanwhile, are bottom with two draws and two losses.