Gareth Southgate explains Man City star Kyle Walker's axe from England squad

Gareth Southgate has made it plain that Kyle Walker’s omission from the England squad does not spell the end of his international career. The 31-year-old was left out by the England boss for the upcoming internationals against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, with Chelsea’s Reece James and Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold getting the nod ahead of him.

Walker has had a difficult time for City lately, after receiving a three-match Champions League suspension - which will spill over into the first leg of the quarter-final - for kicking out at a RB Leipzig player in the dead-rubber group game between the teams in December. City boss Pep Guardiola recently expressed his ongoing anger at that red card, and revealed he did not support the club’s decision to appeal the ban, as “he deserved it”.

Walker has returned to action in domestic competitions, remains the Blues’ first choice right back and has been having a good season apart from that transgression. But Southgate took the decision to leave him out, which could be a blessing for City as they seek to keep players fresh for the title run-in.

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Southgate said: “With Kyle, I had a chat with him, we felt this was an opportunity to look at the two younger full-backs. We know all there is to know about Kyle, he'll be back in June, he’s an important part of the progress we've made as a team, you can see in the big matches for City this season he’s still been an important player for them.”

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Walker’s City teammates John Stones, Phil Foden and Raheem