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England men's national team coach Gareth Southgate has released his 28-man squad for the upcoming international window. The Three Lions are scheduled to face Italy and Germany in the UEFA Nations League on September 23 and 26, respectively.
Brentford's Ivan Toney has been handed his first international call-up by the England boss following his recent stellar performances. However, Manchester United's Jadon Sancho has been left out of the squad despite his rejuvenated form this season.
There are some players whose inclusion in the list is questionable. Players are called up to the national team based on their current form and these players have not been at their best of recent.
Thus, this article will take a look at four players who should not have made the England 28-man list.
#5 Kalvin Phillips
Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City in the summer from Leeds United. The defending Premier League champions paid £42m for Phillips' services but he has been more of a bench warmer at City.
Unlike his former club where he was a regular, the midfielder is yet to cement a spot in the starting XI at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola has stuck with Rodri as his first-choice defensive midfielder, limiting Phillips to just a few minutes of action.
The English midfielder has only had 13 minutes of action across competitions this season. He shouldn't be making the national team roster with such unhealthy statistics.
#4 Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire's inclusion in the England squad has raised many eyebrows after Southgate decided to drop Ben White, who has been impressive with league table-toppers Arsenal.
Maguire has been far from at his best this campaign. He was dropped to the bench by manager Erik ten Hag after Manchester United's poor start to the season. New signing Lisandro Martinez has stepped up admirably to keep Maguire out of the starting XI.
United have also lost all three matches where the former Leicester City defender featured in the starting line-up, conceding seven goals in the process.
No doubt, he has been an integral member of the Three Lions in recent years, but players should be given a call-up based on merit. Judging by that metric, Maguire should be sitting this one out.
#3 Jarrod Bowen
Another player who should not be on the England roster at the moment is West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen. Bowen was one of the best players in England last season, but is currently suffering a dip in form.
The midfielder registered 12 goals and 12 assists in 36 games in the Premier League last season for the Hammers. However, he is yet to register a single goal contribution in the league so far this campaign.
His sub-par performance is one reason why West Ham are currently sitting 18th in the league table.
#1 Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish is another player who does not deserve a place in the Three Lions squad based on recent form. The former Aston Villa captain is the most expensive player in British history, but is yet to justify the tag.
Last season, he managed just six goals and four assists for Guardiola's side in 39 appearances across all tournaments.
Raheem Sterling's exit from the club was supposed to give him more room to blossom. However, there has been little or no improvement from the Englishman. He is yet to chalk up any goal contributions despite having played five games in all competitions this season.
Grealish's inclusion in the UEFA Nations League squad ahead of Sancho, who has three goals under his belt this season, is quite controversial.
