Interim England coach, Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Wayne Rooney has been recalled into the starting eleven for the World Cup qualifier on Friday against neighbours, Scotland. The English striker returns to the line-up after having been dropped for the drab stalemate against Slovenia last month due to his similar fate at Manchester United at the time.
Also, Southgate confirmed that Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson would concede the captain’s armband to Rooney.
Rooney is undergoing a personal dip in form and confidence this season. His unsatisfactory performances earlier in the season led to him being dropped to the bench at United by Jose Mourinho, which effectively was the reason for the national team benching. The 31-year-old returns to the line-up on the back of an impressive game against Swansea in the weekend, a game in which he provided two assists.
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Gareth Southgate, in the pre-match press conference, spoke about Rooney’s recent peak in form, "He [Rooney] is in a better place than he was in the last get-together in terms of his sharpness. He's playing well for Manchester United; I think he's a player who it helps when he gets into a rhythm.” Further, the interim manager also expressed the confidence he seems to have in his captain, "I think he's an experienced player for a game like this, there was no hesitation from me in selecting him.”
Big game for both sides
Currently, England sit atop Group F with seven points after three games. But with just three points separating England from Scotland, who are fourth in the table, a disappointing game for England could split open the group.
The qualifier is crucial for both the teams. Scotland are aiming to climb up the ladder and not fall apart in the early stages of the group stage instead, while England have lost considerable momentum after their opening two wins due to the controversy surrounding the now-sacked manager Sam Allardyce, and a dismal performance against Slovenia.
Meanwhile, Slovenia, in third place and just two points adrift of England are away at last placed and underdogs, Malta and could mount a challenge for the summit if England drop points.
Southgate hoping for a win
Southgate has denied the idea that England would aim for a stalemate with Scotland and will instead hope to break down the rivals and grab a crucial win by playing a better brand of football than the previous games.
He said, "I never like the idea of trying to avoid something [like a defeat]. We want to be positive. We want to be top of the group. I'm sure there have been matches down the years that have been agonising for everyone to watch. But this is a young vibrant team who will only get better. I'm confident we'll be better than we were in our last two matches.”
