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England fans are currently reacting with disbelief on X (formerly Twitter) after Gareth Southgate opted to include Kalvin Phillips in the starting XI to face Scotland later today (September 12).
Southgate faced the ire of many fans when he controversially started Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson in the starting XI against Ukraine on September 9. The Three Lions drew 1-1, dropping points for the first time in their bid to qualify for the 2024 UEFA Euros.
England will now face Scotland in a friendly at Hampden Park as they look to end their international break on a high note. Southgate has made seven changes to the first team, looking to give various squad members a chance to impress, with only Marc Guehi, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice retaining their spots.
Aaron Ramsdale starts in goal. Kyle Walker, Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, and Kieran Trippier make up the defense.
Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Kalvin Phillips are the midfielders, while Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Phil Foden start up front to complete the starting XI.
England fans are furious with the inclusion of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The 27-year-old has only played six minutes of football across all competitions this season. It comes as no surprise that some fans wanted the likes of Eberechi Eze to start in his place.
Some reactions can be viewed below:
"The guy has to just be pure bantering us at this point."
Gareth Southgate and Co. are currently top of Group C with 13 points from five games.
"You'd have to speak with Pep" - England boss Gareth Southgate explains why Phil Foden can't play in his preferred position
England head coach Gareth Southgate recently gave a strange response when asked why he doesn't deploy Phil Foden in midfield.
Foden has been one of the Premier League's most exciting young talents over the last couple of years. The 23-year-old has been a star for Man City, scoring 60 goals and providing 44 assists in 223 appearances across all competitions.
However, he has yet to replicate this form for the England national team. He has only scored three goals in 26 appearances so far, with Southgate largely using him as a left winger.
Many fans have been calling for Foden to start in a more central role, where he usually plays under Pep Guardiola. But Southgate gave a bemusing response to this (via Football365):
“Well, he doesn’t for his club, so presumably there’s a reason for that. It depends on the level of the game, really. Obviously in the middle of the park everybody wants to talk about them with the ball, but there’s a lot of detail without the ball."
He added:
“You’d have to speak with Pep (Guardiola), the best coach in the world, who plays him from wide. He’s always got the freedom to drift if we play him wide and that’s important.”
Foden will be hoping to make an impact against Scotland later today.
