England drop Sterling after Gomez row

Raheem Sterling will not be considered for the Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro following a row with England team-mate Joe Gomez. Emotions ran high in the wake of Manchester City’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the Premier League title race at the weekend and the two clashed on at least one occasion.
As well as clashing at the weekend, reports are claiming the pair were again involved in an exchange after meeting up for England duty at St George’s Park on Monday, leading the Football Association to release a statement later that day.
A statement read: “The FA can confirm Raheem Sterling will not be considered for Thursday’s EURO 2020 qualifier against Montenegro as a result of a disturbance in a private team area at St. George’s Park today. He will remain with the squad.”
It is a remarkable situation and is sure to dominate the build-up to Thursday’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro, which not only offers the chance to seal progress but is England’s 1,000th international fixture.
What happened exactly is likely to remain in-house, but it is fair to say that Sterling could be the one at fault considering he is the one to be punished.
Sterling has been in exceptional form for England, scoring eight goals and providing five assists during Euro 2020 qualification.
Gomez, who was introduced as an 87th-minute substitute on Sunday, won the last of his seven England senior caps in the Nations League third-place play-off against Switzerland in June.
Southgate said emotions were still raw after City’s loss and the decision had been made ‘with the agreement of the entire squad’, adding it was the right decision for the team. “We have taken the decision to not consider Raheem for the match against Montenegro on Thursday,” he said. “One of the great challenges and strengths for us is that we’ve been able to separate club rivalries from the national team.”