Marcus Rashford Set To Be Dropped For England's Upcoming Games Against Switzerland And The Ivory Coast

Marcus Rashford is reportedly set to be dropped from England’s squad for their upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast.

Manchester United forward Rashford has not featured for the Three Lions since the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy, after shoulder surgery ruled him out of the start of the season.

The 24-year-old has scored just five goals in his 24 appearances for United since returning to the side and started on the bench in Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City.

Rashford was brought on in the second half at the Etihad but was unable to make an impact and has now gone seven games without a goal for his club.

England host Switzerland on March 26 before playing their first senior fixture against the Ivory Coast on March 29, and Southgate is unlikely to alter his stance of only selecting players who are performing regularly for their clubs.

Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are all expected to be named in the squad, while Jadon Sancho is also set to return.

Should Rashford be dropped, he would have just two international breaks - in June and September - to stake a claim for a place in Southgate’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which gets underway in November.

Rashford is currently under contract with his boyhood club until 2023, with the Red Devils able to trigger a one-year extension.

The striker has been linked with a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain, who are weighing up potential replacements for Kylian Mbappe.