Sterling Dropped By England For Montenegro Clash After Bust-up With Gomez
Raheem Sterling will not be considered for England’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro following an incident at England’s St George’s Park training base.
The Manchester City winger will miss out on the upcoming match as a result of a “disturbance in a private team area at St. George’s Park ” that occurred on Monday, the FA said in a statement.
The incident is reported to have involved Joe Gomez, having been sparked after a back-and-forth about Liverpool’s 3-1 Premier League win over City at Anfield went too far.
The two clashed after Gomez was introduced into the top-of-the-table clash in the 87th minute, with the Manchester City winger and Liverpool defender taking part in a heated exchange before being separated by James Milner.
Now, Sterling will miss out on a Euro 2020 qualifier in the aftermath of Sunday’s fixture that left Liverpool eight points clear at the top. However, Sterling is set to remain with the squad and could play in England’s upcoming match against Kosovo.
Manager Gareth Southgate said: “We have taken the decision to not consider Raheem for the match against Montenegro on Thursday.
“One of the great challenges and strengths for us is that we’ve been able to separate club rivalries from the national team. Unfortunately, the emotions of yesterday’s game were still raw.
“My feeling is that the right thing for the team is the action we have taken. Now that the decision has been made with the agreement of the entire squad, it’s important that we support the players and focus on Thursday night.”
The Manchester City star has emerged as one of England’s most vital players under Southgate, who has hailed Sterling’s leadership ability within the squad.
Sterling has earned 55 caps for England, having scored 12 goals as a senior international.
Gomez, meanwhile, earned his first senior cap in 2017 and has gone on to represent England on seven occasions.
England face Montenegro on Thursday at Wembley knowing that a win will book their place at Euro 2020 before flying to Pristina to face off with Kosovo on Sunday.
Liverpool are set to face Crystal Palace following the conclusion of the international break. Manchester City, meanwhile, are set to face Chelsea when Premier League play resumes.
