Southgate's loyalty to be tested by Maguire dilemma

LONDON : Even Gareth Southgate's unshakeable loyalty to players that have served him well during his England reign will be tested to the limit by the dilemma he faces over Harry Maguire.

The central defender continues to be selected by the England manager despite his poor club form meaning he cannot command a starting place with Manchester United.

Some fans booed when Maguire's name was announced before kickoff against Germany in the Nations League on Monday.

And those who were prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt would have been wavering by the end of a 3-3 draw as Maguire delivered another error-strewn display.

He was badly at fault as Germany took the lead early in the second half, giving the ball away to Jamal Musiala, then clumsily hacking him down to concede a penalty that Ilkay Gundogan converted past Nick Pope.

Maguire then lost the ball high up the pitch shortly afterwards, resulting in the counter-attack that ended with Kai Havertz making it 2-0 with a sublime finish.

England would fight back to lead 3-2 before Pope's error gifted Germany an equaliser, but not even a morale-boosting draw will deflect attention from the debate over Maguire as the World Cup fast approaches.

"I know everyone will focus on Harry, but there were some very important moments Harry delivered during the two matches," Southgate said of Maguire, who also started in last week's 1-0 defeat by Italy.

"That's always going to raise debate, but I think in these moments we've got to back our best and our most experienced players, unless we're in a situation where it's almost untenable and impossible to pick them."

Maguire's position may soon become untenable though, as on current form he is unlikely to get many starts for his club before