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      How England could line up against Italy in Nations League with Harry Maguire set to start

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE is set to pick his penultimate England team before the World Cup when they face Italy in Milan tonight.The Three Lions will take on the European champions in the Nations League, before hosting Germany on Monday.
      How SunSport expects England to line up against Italy
      The two matches offer Southgate a final opportunity to look at players before he selects his 26-man squad for Qatar in October.
      And he has stuck to his guns when it comes to defender Harry Maguire.
      The defiant England boss Southgate gave huge backing to the out-of-favour Manchester United captain, who has not started in the Premier League since August 13.
      Maguire is set to start at the San Siro with the Three Lions needing a win to avoid relegation into League B which could affect the team’s seeding for the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
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      But there are many more questions for the England boss to answer less than two months out from the start of the World Cup.
      One of the most pressing for these upcoming Nations League fixtures is who will replace the injured Jordan Pickford between the sticks.
      Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale and Newcastle shot-stopper Nick Pope are both vying for the spot – with Dean Henderson expected to miss out.
      There is always a debate as to whether Southgate goes with a back three or back four.
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      If it is a three then expect Tottenham man Eric Dier to return to the fold after two years out of the national side.
      Harry Maguire and likely Kyle Walker will form a trio either side of him, with Chelsea wingback Reece James and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka on the flanks.
      Alternatively, he could opt to experiment and try out Fikayo Tomori.
      Kieran Trippier is an option at left-back, especially given the poor form of Luke Shaw.
      In midfield, Declan Rice is a certainty.
      But the spot alongside him is up for grabs, particularly given Kalvin Phillips has been ruled out .
      Jordan Henderson, who replaced the injured Phillips in the squad, will play no part against the Azzurri despite returning from his recent hamstring injury quicker than expected.
      So you would imagine Jude Bellingham is the favourite to fill that spot ahead of James Ward-Prowse.
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      Then up front, a 3-4-3 would allow Southgate to play his favoured front three – Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Mason Mount – or he could use Man City’s Phil Foden who is seeing plenty of action.
      Ivan Toney will be left out of for the clash in Italy – despite receiving his first Three Lions call-up last week after a brilliant start to the Prem season with the Bees.
      Marc Guehi and Ben Chilwell have not made the match day squad while John Stones is also suspended after his red card in June against Hungary.
      Expected line ups
      England – Pope; Saka, Maguire, Dier, Walker, James; Bellingham, Rice; Foden, Kane, Sterling.
      Italy – Donnarumma; Di Lorezo, Bonucci, Bastoni, Emerson; Barella, Jorginho, Cristante; Gabbiadini, Scamacca, Raspadori. More

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      Ivan Toney among five players left out of England squad to face Italy in Nations League as star made to wait for debut

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      IVAN TONEY will be left out of England’s squad for tonight’s clash in Italy along with four other stars.The Brentford striker received his first Three Lions call-up last week after a brilliant start to the Premier League season with the Bees.
      Ivan Toney will not make his England debut today against ItalyCredit: Reuters
      The striker and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi have both been left out of the match squadCredit: Getty
      However, he will have to wait a little longer to make his England bow with the ace not even named on the bench for the Nations League game at the San Siro later.
      Jordan Henderson, who replaced the injured Kalvin Phillips in the squad, will also play no part against the Azzurri despite returning from his recent hamstring injury quicker than expected.
      And the pair are joined by Marc Guehi and Ben Chilwell, while John Stones is suspended after his red card in June against Hungary.
      Toney, 26, will now be hoping that he gets his chance to impress at Wembley on Monday.
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      Gareth Southgate’s side take on Germany in their final Nations League group match in what will also be their last outing before the World Cup in November.
      Toney, who has five goals in seven top-flight matches this term, revealed earlier this week that he was going into his first taste of England duty in high spirits.
      He said: “I feel like I have full confidence in myself.
      “I never played for any of the other age groups so going straight to the senior squad is a big achievement.
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      “It is a massive opportunity for me to get myself on the plane. But I’ve just got to go game by game.
      “Hopefully I’ll get a few minutes in the games we have.”
      The Three Lions will kick off their Qatar World Cup campaign on November 21 against Iran.
      That will be followed by a clash with USA four days later before they take on Wales in their final Group B game on November 29.
      Meanwhile, one man who may be disappointed by Toney’s omission is the defender that he could have potentially been facing later.
      Italy’s veteran centre back Leonardo Bonucci says he has spent longer in the video analysis room to prepare for a potential first meeting with Toney on the pitch.

      When asked about the attacking talent at Southgate’s disposal, Bonucci, 35, said: “With Kane, we have played many matches against each other.
      “I believe he is a great striker and among the best in the world.
      “And the new one? We will see. I watched some videos about him over these last few days and he is very talented.
      “In England they have a great advantage as they have real talent thanks to the courage of Premier League clubs to make them play.”
      Ivan Toney will now be hoping to make his debut on Monday against GermanyCredit: Getty
      Jordan Henderson will also sit out the clash with the AzzurriCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Ben Chilwell is being left out of the squad alsoCredit: Getty More

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      Harry Kane reveals he has been seeing secret fitness guru to overcome injury problems and lets him stay at £17m mansion

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      HARRY KANE has revealed he has overcome his injury nightmares with the help of a new fitness guru.The Tottenham striker, who had been dogged with ankle and hamstring injuries, has suffered barely any problems since he started working with a Spanish expert in 2020.
      England captain Harry Kane is just a few goals shy of Wayne Rooney’s England recordCredit: PA
      Kane in his home gym
      In fact, since rupturing a tendon in his left hamstring against Southampton on January 1 2020, Kane has missed just five games in total.
      The England captain, who refused to name the fitness guru, said: “I did my hamstring against Southampton away on New Year’s Day and since then I’ve actually found this new physio and we’ve been working together since, for nearly three years now. 
      “He’s been really great for me. We’ve worked for hours and hours over the three years, built up a really good relationship and I feel like he’s really helped me get my body right.
      “I’ve seen changes in my body in terms of what my ankles were like before and now after. I’m in a totally different place.
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      “So it’s really pleasing, I’ve kept that under the radar. Not now! It’s the first time you guys have asked me about it, to be fair.
      “I was at a period in my career where I was struggling to play consistently throughout a season.
      “Especially when you come up to major tournaments, it’s great to know your body is in a good place.
      “Of course, you can get injured at any moment, whether it’s a tackle or a bad movement but I think when you’re free in your mind and you’ve been playing consistently for a while, it definitely helps with your mindset going into the seasons and major tournaments.”
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      Asked about his identity, Kane said: “I’ll keep his name quiet. He’s Spanish. I’ll use him maybe one week of the month.
      “He doesn’t live in the UK so he comes over one week a month and stays with me.”
      Kane has lived in a mesmerising £17million London mansion since 2018.
      The house comes equipped with seven bedrooms, a state-of-the-art gym and an epic man cave.
      Kane enjoys some down time ion his man caveCredit: Refer to Caption More

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      Southgate says Maguire is one of best ball-playing defenders in WORLD as England boss ‘puts reputation on line’ for star

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE is ready to put his reputation on the line for Harry Maguire.Defiant England boss Southgate and captain Harry Kane gave huge backing to the out-of-favour Manchester United captain, who has not started in the Premier League since the 4-0 humiliation at Brentford on August 13.
      Maguire is a mainstay in Southgate’s England squadCredit: Getty
      The defender has found himself on United’s bench this seasonCredit: Alamy
      Southgate is willing to put his reputation on the line for MaguireCredit: Getty
      Maguire is set to start against Italy in the Nations League on Friday with the Three Lions needing a win to avoid relegation into League B which could affect the team’s seeding for the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
      Asked if he is showing too much faith in Maguire, Southgate said: “Whatever reputation I have, I’m putting it on there.
      “You always have to back your judgement and we feel he is an important player.
      “If we thought there were experienced players ready to step in and play at a level above him there would be a different consideration and in some positions there would be a different level of competition in that way.
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      “He is our most dominant aerial centre-back.
      “Him and John Stones are incredible with the ball – the amount of pressure they have taken for the team in tournaments we have played because we don’t always have that midfield pivot player who can progress the game.
      “It means there is a huge amount more pressure on our centre backs to use the ball well and those two are as good as any in world football at doing that.”
      Since the Brentford thrashing, Maguire, 28, has played just 101 minutes under new United boss Erik ten Hag with a sub appearance in the 3-1 home win against Arsenal plus two Europa League outings.
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      Southgate added: “Look, clearly, it’s not an ideal situation. You want your best players playing regularly so that they’re physically in a good place and mentally in a good place.
      “But he is an important player for us. I think it’s important to back our best players.
      “I haven’t felt the need to speak to him any differently to the rest of the players. I try and speak individually with them all.
      “That’s been a bit more complicated this time because we’ve got 28 players so I’m getting there.”
      England skipper Kane also backed Maguire, who helped his country reach the World Cup semi-finals in Russia four years ago.
      The Spurs forward added: “There’s been some unfair criticism.
      “Harry has been incredible in an England shirt for a long period of time now, going back to the World Cup in 2018.
      “Of course he would be the first to admit his club form has not been as good as he would like, but that doesn’t take away from what a great player he is.
      “He is finding himself at a stage where he is having to fight his way back into the Man Utd team and knowing him – and I do very well – he will be working very hard to do that, to use these games or whenever he next has the opportunity, to prove he should be in the starting XI and that is down to him.”
      Jordan Henderson did not train yesterday so will not be involved tonight at the San Siro.
      Read More on The Sun
      Jude Bellingham is set to start in midfield next to Declan Rice with Kalvin Phillips out injured.
      England also face Germany at Wembley on Monday. Southgate added: “These are two important games.” More

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      England captain Harry Kane could be BANNED from wearing rainbow OneLove armband as Fifa and Qatar must grant permission

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      ENGLAND skipper Harry Kane and other captains could be prevented from wearing rainbow armbands at the World Cup.The FA have joined together with nine other European countries to support a season-long ‘OneLove’ campaign for inclusion and fight against discrimination.
      Harry Kane might be BANNED from wearing the OneLove armband at the World CupCredit: PA
      But Fifa are yet to give permission for skippers to wear the armbands in Qatar, which will promote diversion, inclusion and anti-discrimination.
      Kane will wear the armband when the Three Lions face Italy in Milan tonight while Gareth Bale wore one in Wales’ loss to Belgium on Thursday.
      But now the FA and the other nations must play a waiting game.
      Hosts Qatar, along with Fifa, will now decide whether to accept the requests from the European countries.
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      Announcing he will wear the armband, Kane said: “I am honoured to join my fellow national team captains in supporting the important OneLove campaign.
      “As captains we may all be competing against each other on the pitch, but we stand together against all forms of discrimination.
      “This is even more relevant at a time when division is common in society.”
      And Kane revealed sessions with a secret fitness guru have helped him stay injury free in the build-up to the tournament.
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      The Tottenham striker, who was once dogged with both ankle and hamstring issues, has suffered barely any problems since he started working with a  Spanish expert.
      In fact, since January 2020, Kane has missed just five games in total.
      The England captain said: “I’ve found a physio and he’s been really great.
      “We’ve worked for hours and hours, built up a really good relationship — he’s really helped me.
      “I’ve seen changes in terms of what my ankles were like before and now after. I’m just in a  different place.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I was at a period where I struggled to play consistently over a season. Especially  for the major tournaments, it’s great to know your body is in a good place.
      “When you’re free in your mind and playing consistently, it helps.” More

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      KFC exec threatens to take legal action after Kylian Mbappe refuses to be part of team photo amid row over image rights

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN superstar Kylian Mbappe has been threatened with legal action by an executive of fast food giant KFC. Mbappe refused to take part in some of the French national team’s sponsorship commitments.
      Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe may have been threatened with legal actionCredit: Reuters
      Alain Beral, vice president of KFC France, said: “We have paid for something clear. If necessary, we will assert our rights.”
      Beral did not say whether any action would be against Mbappe or the French Football Federation.
      The star striker had declined to participate in a team photoshoot and sponsor activities ahead of France’s Nations League clash with Austria tonight, citing issues with players’ image rights.
      However, KFC France later distanced itself from Beral’s recent comments.
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      The company told Reuters: “KFC France regrets the words that were spoken yesterday and reported in the media this morning. These are personal opinions, but in no way reflect the position of the company.
      “KFC France also wishes to clarify that Alain Beral did not speak on behalf of the company, but in the context of a private conversation during an event related to his functions as president of the National Basketball League.
      “The partnership between KFC and the French Football Federation (FFF) has always been a source of pride for the company.
      “KFC France has every confidence in the FFF’s ability to find satisfactory solutions for all of its partners and players, including Kylian Mbappe, whose supporters we are among the first in France.”
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      According to ESPN, Mbappe refused to take part in photo shoots and sponsor activities on Tuesday because he did not want to endorse some brands, such as fast food chains and betting companies.
      Mbappe said: “I have decided to not take part in the photo shoot after the French federation’s refusal to change the image rights agreement with the players.”
      The federation stated it would “review” the image rights agreement “between it and its selected players”. More

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      Ex-Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal AXES Tim Krul from Netherlands squad for ‘refusing to take part in penalty tests’

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      FORMER Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has AXED veteran goalkeeper Tim Krul from Holland’s World Cup squad.Krul, who has been a regular in the squad since his debut in 2011, was omitted from the 25-man shortlist ahead of his country’s upcoming Nations League fixtures against Poland and Belgium.
      Krul will not appear a the World CupCredit: Getty
      Despite missing out on a call-up, he was invited to take part in specialist penalty practice with the other goalkeepers at the Dutch team’s training base this week.
      However, the 34-year-old declined the offer and now his international career is in doubt.
      Van Gaal said: “Krul called me to tell me that he will pass.
      “I thought it was a shame, because I know that he stops the most penalties in terms of statistics.
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      “There is no future for him at the Orange, because he did not want to come. That is the consequence of his decision.
      “I’ve always thought that you can train a penalty kick.
      “Not the moment and the pressure, but you can automate your process and that gives confidence.
      “I have convinced the boys that they can do something with it, that players at the club will train for penalties.
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      “You cannot change the training policy at their club, but you can request them to practice their own penalty kicks.”
      Krul was famously brought on by Van Gaal for a penalty shootout at the 2014 World Cup.
      He saved two spot kicks against Costa Rica to send Holland through to the semi-finals.
      The keeper is currently a regular in Dean Smith’s Norwich line-up.
      He has already made 10 appearances so far this season for the Canaries, who currently sit second in the Championship table. More

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      ‘It is a bit too much’ – Unlucky international manager considers retirement after being sacked before THREE World Cups

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      VAHID HALILHODZIC is contemplating retirement from management after being sacked by THREE national teams despite guiding them to the World Cup.The Bosnian was dismissed from Ivory Coast and Japan before the 2010 and 2018 World Cups respectively, and Morocco followed suit ahead of Qatar 2022.
      Morocco became the third team to sack Vahid Halilhodzic before a World CupCredit: AFP or licensors
      In a emotional interview with Bosnian news outlet, N1, Halilhodzic revealed ” [The decision to sack me before the world cup] affected me quite a bit, I’m even thinking about ending my career in a bit of a weird way.
      “That’s life, I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, but it is a bit too much. I’m thinking of saying thank you to football.”
      The Royal Moroccan Football Federation sacked Halilhodzic last month suggesting, in a statement, he was let go as a result of “different and divergent visions.”
      The former Paris Saint Germain manager had a reported bust up with both Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui with the former announcing his, now rescinded, international retirement in February.
      Things came to a head between Halilhodzic and Ziyech in September 2021, when the Chelsea star was accused of faking an injury to avoid playing.
      “For the first time in my coaching career, I have seen behaviour that disappoints me.
      “A player who refuses to play a game, admittedly a friendly, on the pretext that he is injured.
      “The medical staff made several examinations and said he could play.
      “He then refused to warm up in the second half because he was disappointed to be a substitute.
      “For me, that type of behaviour is unacceptable. You can’t cheat with the national team. You are 100% there or you are not.”
      Following Morocco’s qualification for the World Cup, the RMFF president said, as reported by Dutch outlet NU: “There are problems that need to be solved.
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      “We will do so in order for Ziyech and Mazraoui to return to the national team.”
      New manager Walid Regragui has succeeded Halilhodzic as Moroccan manager and has wasted little time in recalling the Chelsea winger.
      The 29-year-old could make his first appearance in seven months against Chile.
      Bullish Bosnian Halilhodzic did manage to take charge of one team at a World Cup, and it didn’t go badly at all.
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      In 2014, he managed Algeria and led them out of the group stage for the first time in the country’s history.
      Despite an unlucky exit to eventual winners Germany in a 2-1 extra time defeat, the tournament is regarded by many to be the biggest success in the North African nation’s history. More