Chelsea trio included in the England World Cup squad, disappointment for Loftus-Cheek
According to the Athletic (Subscription Required), three Chelsea players Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling are included in the England World Cup squad, Ruben Loftus-Cheek misses out.
Former Blues stars and Academy products Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham also miss out on the squad as Gareth Southgate selected tried and tested players for the tournament.
It would be an opportunity for the likes of Gallagher and Mount, who were very young when England last played a World Cup in 2018. The latter has been one of the better players for the national team in the last few games. He would hope to continue that touch in Qatar.
Sterling’s form, on the other hand, has not been great since the start of this season. He made a move from Manchester City to Chelsea in the summer and has had a bumpy ride settling in at Stamford Bridge. The Blues not playing well and the change in manager very early on does not help as well.
There have been calls for the 27-year-old not deserving to start the first group game against Iran. Although current form suggests he should not be in the starting XI, the former Liverpool man has experience of shining in international tournaments after a quiet period in club football.
Loftus-Cheek would be disappointed to not see his name in the final squad. The 26-year-old has been one of the most-played players in the Chelsea squad, and he has shown decent form in central midfield. Moreover, he represented England in the previous World Cup, so the experience was there too.
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For Gallagher though, what a fantastic past 12 months it has been. Starting from having a great season on loan at Crystal Palace last season to forcing his way into the Chelsea senior team this time, culminating in him getting a place on the plane to Qatar for the biggest sporting tournament.
