GARETH SOUTHGATE fears it will be impossible to select Harry Maguire when he names his first England squad of the year tomorrow.
But the Manchester United skipper, a personal favourite of Southgate, will remain in the England manager’s long-term plans, despite his arrest on the Greek island of Mykonos last week.
Harry Maguire spent two nights in police custody and was released on bail after a boozy brawl in MykonosCredit: AFP or licensors
Gareth Southgate fears it will be impossible to select Maguire when he names his first England squad of the yearCredit: Getty Images
Maguire, 27, spent two nights in police custody and was released on bail on Saturday after a boozy brawl involving plain-clothed police officers on Thursday.
Southgate names his squad tomorrow for England’s Nations League visits to Iceland and Denmark next month — and Maguire is unlikely to be included.
The England boss wants to establish the full facts of the incident that saw Maguire arrested before he selects him and that is unlikely to happen before this squad announcement.
Southgate is believed to be open-minded about including Maguire for October’s home matches against Wales, Belgium and Denmark.
The England manager has taken a hard-line on disciplinary issues in the past, ditching skipper Wayne Rooney early in his reign after a drinking session at the team hotel.
He also axed Raheem Sterling for one match after a bust-up with team-mate Joe Gomez in the team dining room last year.
But Southgate is also a pragmatist and knows he has few top-class options in central defence.
He has also always been impressed by Maguire’s conduct on and off the pitch until last week’s incident.
That means he will remain in Southgate’s plans for next year’s Euro finals.
Maguire denied all charges in a hearing held in private on Saturday, with his case adjourned until tomorrow.
Southgate was already facing tough decisions over whether to pick players from both Manchester clubs after their involvement in the later stages of the two European competitions.
That gave them little time for a break before the Iceland trip on September 5.
Harry Maguire leaves court following Mykonos brawl which came after a three-day bender on the island
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
