Gareth Southgate should take his own advice over Leicester City stars

England are stepping up their preparations for the World Cup this week as Gareth Southgate gets a look at his squad for the first time in 2022.

The Three Lions came out as eventual 2-1 winners over Switzerland on Saturday and take on Cote D’Ivoire at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night. The England squad taking part in these friendlies are however without any representation from Leicester City.

Brendan Rodgers currently has three players who have previously pulled on the Three Lions shirt. Jamie Vardy announced his retirement from international football after the 2018 World Cup, but James Maddison and Harvey Barnes are both available for selection.

The two City players have one cap each, Maddison making his debut as a second-half substitute in the 2019 Euro qualification clash with Montenegro. Barnes is the most recent City to play for England also being used as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 friendly victory over Wales back in 2020.

Since making their debuts, neither player has received another call-up. Injuries have played a part. Barnes was unavailable for selection for the Euro 2020 squad due to a knee injury, while Maddison has struggled with an on-off hip problem over the last couple of seasons. But now both are now fully fit and firing, they are still to get a look-in.

Talking ahead of Tuesday’s game, Southgate outlined how club form will play a part in his squad selection. There’s not many players in better form in the Premier League than Maddison. He has 13 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season, compared to that of four goals and three assists of Jack Grealish, who has struggled at Man City.

Maddison has also matched the stats of Mason Mount with 20 goal contributions this season. Despite a