Gareth Southgate has revealed that Raheem Sterling did not make his 25-man England squad for the March international break to due fitness concerns.
Sterling has endured a difficult first season at new club Chelsea, struggling for form and playing time for a lengthy period under Graham Potter. At international level, however, Sterling has always been one of the most consistent performers under Southgate, most notably at international tournaments where England relied on his goalscoring output.
The England manager revealed in his squad announcement press conference that Sterling's exclusion is not down to form, but rather fitness, after the Chelsea winger missed his side's recent win over Leicester with a hamstring complaint.
